Raw — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈrȯ/

Meaning & Definition of Raw

Raw (adjective)

  1. not cooked
  2. being in or nearly in the natural state, not processed or purified
  3. not diluted or blended

Raw (noun)

  1. a raw place or state

Raw (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. not cooked

    "you should wash your hands after handling raw chicken"

    similar: uncooked
    related: unheated, rare, half-baked, underdone
    opposite: cooked
    near: well-done, overdone, baked, boiled, braised, broiled, fried, grilled, heated, roasted, sautéed, burned, charred, scorched

  2. being such as found in nature and not altered by processing or refining

    "raw sugar is honey-colored because the crystals retain cane juices, minerals, and other impurities that haven't been refined out"

    similar: crude, native, natural, rude, undressed, unprocessed, unrefined, untreated, in the raw, in the rough
    related: undeveloped, rough-hewn, semifinished, unfinished, unpolished, uncooked, impure, unfiltered
    opposite: dressed, processed, refined, treated
    near: filtered, pure, purified

  3. lacking in adult experience or maturity

    "recruiters like to say the military turns raw youths into responsible men and women"

    similar: adolescent, callow, green, immature, inexperienced, juvenile, puerile, unfledged, unformed, unripe, unripened, wet behind the ears
    related: babyish, childish, infantile, infantilized, infantine, boyish, girlish, juvenescent, kiddish, young, youngish, youthful, maidenly, virginal, ingenuous, innocent, naive, tender, unknowing, unseasoned, unsophisticated, untrained, untried
    opposite: adult, experienced, grown-up, mature, ripe
    near: advanced, precocious, knowing, savvy, sophisticated, worldly, worldly-wise

  4. marked by wet and windy conditions

    "the day of the funeral turned out to be one of those bleak, blustery, raw winter days that was as gloomy as our spirits"

    similar: bleak, dirty, foul, inclement, nasty, rough, squally, stormy, tempestuous, turbulent
    related: blowy, blustering, blustery, breezy, gusty, windblown, windswept, cloudy, overcast, sunless, rainy, snowy, foggy, hazy, misty, murky, soupy
    opposite: bright, clear, clement, cloudless, fair, sunny, sunshiny, unclouded
    near: rainless, balmy, calm, halcyon, peaceful, placid, pleasant, serene

  5. uncomfortably cool

    "evenings in those mountains, even during the summer, tend to be a little raw"

    similar: bitter, bleak, chill, chilling, chilly, nipping, nippy, sharp
    related: bracing, brisk, crisp, invigorating, rigorous, snappy, arctic, cold, coolish, freezing, frigid, frosty, glacial, ice-cold, icy, numbing, polar, shivery, wintry, subfreezing, subzero, frore, frosted, frozen, iced, refrigerated, unheated
    near: balmy, warm, lukewarm, tepid, heated, warmed

  6. causing intense discomfort to one's skin

    "bundle up if you're going sailing, as there's a raw wind out there in the bay"

    similar: biting, bitter, cutting, keen, penetrating, piercing, sharp, shrewd, smarting, stinging
    related: brisk, invigorating, nippy, snappy, needlelike, prickly, tingling, caustic, corrosive
    near: balmy, gentle, mild, soothing

  7. showing no signs of being under control

    "a frightening display of raw anger"

    similar: abandoned, intemperate, rampant, runaway, unbounded, unbridled, unchecked, uncontrolled, unhampered, unhindered, unrestrained
    related: uncontrollable, ungovernable, barbaric, hog wild, riotous, uninhibited, wild
    opposite: bridled, checked, constrained, controlled, curbed, governed, hampered, hindered, restrained, temperate
    near: moderate, tempered

  8. lacking or shed of clothing

    "a pristine stretch of sand where beachgoers commonly sunbathe raw"

    similar: au naturel, bare, bottomless, disrobed, mother-naked, naked, nude, starkers (chiefly British), stripped, unclad, unclothed, undressed, in the altogether, in the buff, in the nude, in the raw, stark naked
    related: seminude, topless, denuded, peeled, unveiled
    opposite: appareled, attired, clad, clothed, dressed, garbed, invested, robed, suited
    near: covered, veiled, arrayed, caparisoned, decked (out), rigged (out), tricked (out), vested, decent

Raw (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the state of having no clothes on one's body

    "a secluded swimming hole where we could swim in the raw"

    similar: altogether, bareness, birthday suit, bottomlessness, buff, nakedness, nude, nudity
    related: toplessness, naturism, nudism

Related Entry: Raw deal (noun)

Raw deal is a different word from Raw. The synonyms below are for raw deal, not for raw.

  1. unfair or inadequate treatment of someone or something or an instance of this

    "customers affected by the increase in the service fee complained they were getting a raw deal"

    similar: disservice, inequity, injury, injustice, shaft, unfairness, unjustness, wrong
    related: affront, indignity, insult, offense, outrage, put-down, slight, slur, beef, complaint, grievance
    opposite: equitableness, equity, fairness, justice
    near: cricket

Related Entry: Raw material (noun)

Raw material is a different word from Raw. The synonyms below are for raw material, not for raw.

  1. the basic elements from which something can be developed

    "Canada now converts most of its raw materials into manufactured goods such as automobiles and auto parts"

    similar: making, material, stuff, substance, timber
    related: possibility, potential, potentiality, matter, metal

Related Entry: Raw deals (noun)

Raw deals is a different word from Raw. The synonyms below are for raw deals, not for raw.

  1. unfair or inadequate treatment of someone or something or an instance of this

    "customers affected by the increase in the service fee complained they were getting a raw deal"

    similar: disservices, inequities, injuries, injustices, shafts, wrongs
    related: affronts, indignities, insults, offenses, outrages, put-downs, slights, slurs, beefs, complaints, grievances
    opposite: equities, justices
    near: crickets

Related Entry: In the raw (phrase)

In the raw is a different word from Raw. The synonyms below are for in the raw, not for raw.

  1. being such as found in nature and not altered by processing or refining

    "He preferred his milk in the raw: straight from the cow instead of the grocery store."

    similar: crude, native, natural, raw, rude, undressed, unprocessed, unrefined, untreated, in the rough
    related: undeveloped, rough-hewn, semifinished, unfinished, unpolished, uncooked, impure, unfiltered
    opposite: dressed, processed, refined, treated
    near: filtered, pure, purified

  2. lacking or shed of clothing

    "We are all born in the raw so no one should be ashamed of their body."

    similar: au naturel, bare, bottomless, disrobed, mother-naked, naked, nude, raw, starkers (chiefly British), stripped, unclad, unclothed, undressed, in the altogether, in the buff, in the nude, stark naked
    related: seminude, topless, denuded, peeled, unveiled
    opposite: appareled, attired, clad, clothed, dressed, garbed, invested, robed, suited
    near: covered, veiled, arrayed, caparisoned, decked (out), rigged (out), tricked (out), vested, decent

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Raw

The most common words with a similar meaning to Raw:

Chiefly British: starkers
uncooked, crude, native, natural, rude, undressed, unprocessed, unrefined, untreated, adolescent, callow, green, immature, inexperienced, juvenile, puerile, unfledged, unformed, unripe, unripened, bleak, dirty, foul, inclement, nasty, rough, squally, stormy, tempestuous, turbulent, bitter, chill, chilling, chilly, nipping, nippy, sharp, biting, cutting, keen

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Raw

Words with the opposite meaning of Raw:

cooked, dressed, processed, refined, treated, adult, experienced, grown-up, mature, ripe, bright, clear, clement, cloudless, fair, sunny, sunshiny, unclouded, bridled, checked, constrained, controlled, curbed, governed, hampered, hindered, restrained, temperate, appareled, attired

Related Words for Raw

unheated, rare, half-baked, underdone, undeveloped, rough-hewn, semifinished, unfinished, unpolished, impure, unfiltered, babyish, childish, infantile, infantilized, infantine, boyish, girlish, juvenescent, kiddish, young, youngish, youthful, maidenly, virginal, ingenuous, innocent, naive, tender, unknowing

Near Antonyms of Raw

well-done, overdone, baked, boiled, braised, broiled, fried, grilled, heated, roasted, sautéed, burned, charred, scorched, filtered, pure, purified, advanced, precocious, knowing, savvy, sophisticated, worldly, worldly-wise, rainless, balmy, calm, halcyon, peaceful, placid

Word Forms of Raw

Inflections: rawer, rawest

Derived words: rawly (adverb), rawness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Raw

Middle English, from Old English hrēaw; akin to Old High German hrō raw, Latin crudus raw, cruor blood, Greek kreas flesh

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Raw

Words & Phrases Containing Raw

raw bar, raw deal, raw material, raw score, in the raw, a raw deal, touch/strike/hit a raw nerve

Frequently Asked Questions about Raw

What does "Raw" mean?

"Raw" means not cooked. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: not cooked. It has 9 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Raw"?

Other words for "Raw" include uncooked, crude, native, natural, rude, undressed, unprocessed and unrefined. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Raw" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Raw"?

There are 178 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Raw". Common alternatives include uncooked, crude, native, natural, rude, undressed, unprocessed, unrefined, untreated and adolescent.

What is the opposite of "Raw"?

Antonyms of "Raw" include cooked, dressed, processed, refined, treated, adult, experienced and grown-up. Near antonyms include well-done, overdone, baked and boiled.

How do you use "Raw" in a sentence?

Examples of "Raw" in a sentence: "you should wash your hands after handling raw chicken"; "raw sugar is honey-colored because the crystals retain cane juices, minerals, and other impurities that haven't been refined out"; "recruiters like to say the military turns raw youths into responsible men and women".

Is "Raw" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Raw" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Raw" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Raw" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Raw"?

"Raw" is pronounced /ˈrȯ/.