raw 1 of 2

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as in crude
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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as in biting
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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raw

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noun

as in nudity
the state of having no clothes on one's body a secluded swimming hole where we could swim in the raw

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective raw differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of raw are crude, rough, and rude. While all these words mean "lacking in social refinement," raw suggests being untested, inexperienced, or unfinished.

turning raw youths into polished performers

When might crude be a better fit than raw?

The words crude and raw can be used in similar contexts, but crude may apply to thought or behavior limited to the gross, the obvious, or the primitive.

a crude joke

When could rough be used to replace raw?

The meanings of rough and raw largely overlap; however, rough is likely to stress lack of polish and gentleness.

rough manners

When is rude a more appropriate choice than raw?

The words rude and raw are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, rude implies ignorance of or indifference to good form; it may suggest intentional discourtesy.

rude behavior

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 raw
Adjective
The recall affects Kroger-brand raw and cooked shrimp products as well as AquaStar raw shrimp skewers distributed across 31 states between June 2025 and September 2025. Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025 The 28-year-old artist delivered a raw, liberated performance, shedding clothes and her former persona on stage. Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 21 Sep. 2025
Noun
If ingested raw, pathogens may remain on the surface of the placenta. Marley Dewey, The Conversation, 16 May 2025 These ones turn out amazing—topped with sugar in the raw. Bon Appétit Contributor, Bon Appétit, 22 Mar. 2024 See All Example Sentences for raw
Recent Examples of Synonyms for raw
Adjective
  • All were grown side-by-side and blended into uncooked soy-milk-style slurries.
    Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 20 Sep. 2025
  • Chagas can be spread through blood transfusion, organ transplants, consuming uncooked food contaminated with feces from infected bugs, accidental exposure in a lab and from pregnant women to their babies.
    Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • In crude mines across Central and Sub-Saharan Africa, hands that should hold pencils and schoolbooks hammer rocks and search for the minerals that power electric vehicle batteries, solar cells, and wind turbines.
    Xanthe Scharff, Time, 22 Sep. 2025
  • If even a crude silent gesture has drawn constitutional protection, fragile egos don’t justify a gag.
    Eric Preven, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Founders are often too eager to scale, or too inexperienced to evaluate talent, and the financial hit isn’t felt immediately.
    Anuradha Gupta, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
  • And finding a new commissioner would not only take months but may leave the West with an untried, inexperienced leader.
    Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • During the suspension, Fallon, host of NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, commented publicly on the turbulent climate for late-night hosts.
    Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
  • The lyrics, rooted in his own experiences and the turbulent reality of the Civil Rights Movement, spoke to a collective longing for justice and a belief that progress—though slow—was inevitable.
    Okla Jones, Essence, 24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • As the respiratory virus season arrives, some still worry that so many statements and counter-statements about vaccines will ultimately create a chilling effect.
    Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Sep. 2025
  • Advertisement That assault is already having a concrete chilling effect on the market.
    Justin Worland, Time, 19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The characters have this sharp, biting, British humor.
    Alex Ritman, Variety, 28 Aug. 2025
  • There’s Bud the biting cat, played by a feline named Tonic and who deserves a three-picture deal.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • In places where the rule of law is weak or red tape is rampant, founders spend more time navigating paperwork and loopholes than building value.
    Anuradha Gupta, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
  • This rampant, unauthorized AI use degrades the educational experience of individual students who overly rely on the technology and those who wish to avoid using it.
    Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Episode 5 opens with a postal worker’s 2020 account of seeing Sellers naked in the woods, with his face covered, carrying a child’s jacket.
    Erin Jensen, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
  • To the naked eye, Saturn will be a steady, golden point of light that won’t twinkle, as stars do.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Raw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/raw. Accessed 24 Sep. 2025.

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