raunchy

adjective

ˈrȯn-chē How to pronounce raunchy (audio)
Definition of raunchynext
as in pornographic
depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society inappropriately used office e-mail for an exchange of raunchy jokes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of raunchy The decision to launch a separate block of programming aimed at those viewers, filled with raunchy cartoons that actively subverted nostalgia and violent anime that couldn’t be shown during daytime hours, was logical. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026 But, these days, the right is in the midst of a raunchy new rebrand. — Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2026 Reynolds and Daley first met 20 years earlier on the set of their 2005 raunchy comedy Waiting, chronicling a day in the lives of the staff at a cheesy chain restaurant. — Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026 Joey King has the Practical Magic 2 cast dying over a raunchy joke. — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for raunchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for raunchy
  1. pornographic
  2. obscene
  3. vulgar
  4. nasty
  5. dirty
  6. foul
  7. filthy
Adjective
  • Egyptian courts have tried blocking pornographic websites, but private online access remains widespread.
    — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026
  • On the day of the $50 million demand, a WeChat chat on one of her phones shows pornographic images arriving and being sent back with Victim-1’s face grafted on, the complaint says.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of pornographic
Adjective
  • In Russia, soldiers die at the front by the hundreds of thousands while politically compliant billionaires accumulate obscene fortunes.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
  • At the next timeout, an announcement was made asking fans to refrain from obscene chants.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of obscene
Adjective
  • Taylor describes inappropriate physical touch, as well as the knight cornering her and saying vulgar things.
    — Alessandra Schade, Vanity Fair, 28 Oct. 2026
  • In her smartly vulgar The Seasons (1957), which extends nearly 17 feet, Krasner returns to the subject of rebirth one year after Pollock’s death, depicting abundant forms resembling genitalia.
    — John Yau, ARTnews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of vulgar
Adjective
  • Surely, though, it is not lost on the audience that this play opens in the middle of a strikingly nasty political campaign to elect members of the Chicago school board, warring Democrats all.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Someone who hung up on your problem is unlikely to listen to a nasty critique and vow to reform.
    — Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of nasty
Adjective
  • Floor around the fryers, floor under and around the drive thru drink station and floor under and around stationary equipment is visibly dirty.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Using the same sponge for every surface and spill could be making your kitchen dirtier every time.
    — Sarah Everett, The Spruce, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of dirty
Adjective
  • Feast on fresh fruits, pastries, cold cuts, omelettes, and traditional foul mudammas while traversing the ancient waterway.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Who hasn’t airballed a foul shot in front of a Catholic school auditorium filled with 50 people on a Saturday morning?
    — Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of foul
Adjective
  • Everybody wants to bring back trip-hop, but no one remembers how filthy Dummy actually sounds.
    — Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 27 Oct. 2026
  • When the drop comes in, there’s this really filthy synth bass.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of filthy

Browse Nearby Words

raunchiness
raunchy
ravage
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Raunchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/raunchy. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of effrontery

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All