1
as in chill
an uncomfortable degree of coolness
lit a fire in the hearth to combat the rawness of that blustery March morning
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in roughness
the quality or state of lacking refinement or good taste
to many listeners the music's rawness adds to its authenticitiy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rawness
And while that rawness is a large part of its appeal, there’s a section of the Georgia coast that has managed to grow and develop—with resorts, vacation homes, and modern infrastructure—without losing the rugged character that makes the region so compelling.
—
Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2026
Mitski, now thirty-five, has always written songs of exceptional rawness and vulnerability, placing herself in closeup against a thin layer of glass.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2026
In the visuals, Robyn portrays a literal and more metaphoric bareness—there’s nudity, yes, but also a rawness to her look.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 25 Feb. 2026
Her long-term commitment to Ukrainian poetry shows in the precision and restraint of the English versions, which preserve Malihon’s tonal shifts without smoothing their rawness.
—Alex Averbuch, Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026
Taking inspiration from observing the rawness of Ma Tei’s Temple Street, the collectionmerges haute couture tailoring with the roughness of grassroots life.
—Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 18 Feb. 2026
Plenty of Cherif’s data suggested a player who might make an impact, but there remains a rawness to his game.
—Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
And the point of the whole thing was to capture it in its rawness with all of the fabric of emotional jazz music.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 22 Dec. 2025
Regardless of the painting's origins, its rawness encapsulates the bar's theme — tiki with an edge.
—Eddie Fontanez, AZCentral.com, 21 Dec. 2025
Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2026
Mitski, now thirty-five, has always written songs of exceptional rawness and vulnerability, placing herself in closeup against a thin layer of glass.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2026
In the visuals, Robyn portrays a literal and more metaphoric bareness—there’s nudity, yes, but also a rawness to her look.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 25 Feb. 2026
Her long-term commitment to Ukrainian poetry shows in the precision and restraint of the English versions, which preserve Malihon’s tonal shifts without smoothing their rawness.
—Alex Averbuch, Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026
Taking inspiration from observing the rawness of Ma Tei’s Temple Street, the collectionmerges haute couture tailoring with the roughness of grassroots life.
—Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 18 Feb. 2026
Plenty of Cherif’s data suggested a player who might make an impact, but there remains a rawness to his game.
—Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
And the point of the whole thing was to capture it in its rawness with all of the fabric of emotional jazz music.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 22 Dec. 2025
Regardless of the painting's origins, its rawness encapsulates the bar's theme — tiki with an edge.
—Eddie Fontanez, AZCentral.com, 21 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rawness
Noun
-
The escalating conflict has sent a chill through military communities across California, which is home to more than 157,000 active-duty military personnel — more than any other state.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Until that first little later afternoon chill comes with the drop of the sun.—
Alexandra Pereira,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Whether bumps or pits, roughness or a distinct lack of luminosity, uneven skin texture impacts all of us at some point.—
Hannah Coates,
Vogue,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Taking inspiration from observing the rawness of Ma Tei’s Temple Street, the collectionmerges haute couture tailoring with the roughness of grassroots life.—
Fairchild Studio,
Footwear News,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
As excited as Celebrini was to be back in San Jose, there was still some bitterness as to how the Olympic tournament ended.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Matcha provides the color and gives it a slight yet pleasant green-tea bitterness.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
As the recipient of Gentle Readers’ mail, Miss Manners is all too aware of the deluge of rudeness in the modern world.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
But only those who had been woken up without warning with a degree of rudeness would remember this night when their own time came.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
That feeling stops, however, when pulling into gas stations or parking lots, where the length and lowness of the car require extreme care to keep the chin from scraping.—
Byron Hurd,
The Drive,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But even amidst so much bewildering bleakness, there are moments of beauty to be found in a new season, in a new revolution of the wheel of the year.—
Gabrielle Bellot,
Literary Hub,
27 Feb. 2026
-
While often unrelenting in its bleakness, Biutiful is made effective by Bardem's subtly heartbreaking performance, which earned him an Oscar nomination.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
If an exclamation point only signified gore and grossness, this gothic rock opera would more than qualify.—
Rachel Simon,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The characters’ propensity for ugly faces, silliness and a bit of grossness too, stems from the portrayals of girlhood and young womanhood that appeal to them.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The term plant texture refers to the fineness or coarseness, roughness or smoothness, heaviness or lightness of a particular plant.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
15 Feb. 2026
-
An alkaline compound, baking soda is a non-toxic cleaner with a coarseness that works wonders for scrubbing grime, removing difficult stains, and deodorizing stinky odors.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rawness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rawness. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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