racier; raciest
1
a
: full of zest or vigor
b
: having a strongly marked quality : piquant
a racy flavor
c
: risqué, suggestive
racy jokes
2
: having the distinctive quality of something in its original or most characteristic form
racier; raciest
: having a body or shape that is suited for racing
a racy dog
a car with racy lines
rac·i·ness
ˈrā-sē-nəs 
plural -es
: the quality of being racy : earthiness
with a more polite, standardized speech a lot of the raciness has departed from the London streets—
H. V. Morton
H. V. Mortonan idiomatic raciness of speech, expressing a strong vitality—F. R. Leavis
F. R. LeavisExamples of racy in a Sentence
Adjective (1)
vivid writing and a racy plot that keeps readers turning the pages
a raunchy comedy with language that was a little too racy for an eight-year-old child
Recent Examples on the Web
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Instructed to write hillbilly music for hardscrabble whites, and racy R&B for the working-class black crowd, Q began to sell traditional country under the table using his mother’s name — even to one of the labels’ presidents, for his other artists to perform.
—Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 1 June 2026
But during production, some nude photos that Monroe had shot years earlier came to light, so to tone down her racy image a bit, the studio head ordered up the more modest pink dress for the song.
—Tracy Smith, CBS News, 31 May 2026
The twin financial centres of Dubai (DIFC) and Abu Dhabi (ADGM) have seen a dramatic increase in global and regional financial participation, spurred by traditional financial services, wealth management alongside racier offerings like digital assets.
—Vasuki Shastry, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for racy
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
The entertainment could be a little racier than being serenaded by a trio singing Greek power ballads at dinnertime.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Instructed to write hillbilly music for hardscrabble whites, and racy R&B for the working-class black crowd, Q began to sell traditional country under the table using his mother’s name — even to one of the labels’ presidents, for his other artists to perform.
—Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 1 June 2026
But during production, some nude photos that Monroe had shot years earlier came to light, so to tone down her racy image a bit, the studio head ordered up the more modest pink dress for the song.
—Tracy Smith, CBS News, 31 May 2026
The twin financial centres of Dubai (DIFC) and Abu Dhabi (ADGM) have seen a dramatic increase in global and regional financial participation, spurred by traditional financial services, wealth management alongside racier offerings like digital assets.
—Vasuki Shastry, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for racy
Cite this Entry
“Racy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/racy. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
