Macmillan Dictionary

Did you know?

Click any word in a definition or example to find the entry for that word

raw

 - definition
 
 
Close

What are red words?

90% of the time, speakers of English use just 7,500 words in speech and writing. These words appear in red, and are graded with stars. One-star words are frequent, two-star words are more frequent, and three-star words are the most frequent.

Close

Thesaurus

The thesaurus of synonyms and related words is fully integrated into the dictionary entries. Click on the T button in an entry to review the synonyms and related words for that meaning.

more
adjective British English pronunciation: raw /rɔː/
Other entries for this word
 
  2. 2
    a raw emotion or quality is strong and natural, but not controlled or developed

    raw anger/bitterness/excitement

    There's a lot of raw talent here.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of raw
    1. a.
      basic and natural, and not developed or made more pleasant or satisfactory

      He gives a raw account of life in the camps.

      Their music is still raw and unpretentious.

      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of raw
  4. 4
    not trained or experienced

    They are mostly raw recruits, not professional soldiers.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of raw
  5. 5
    if your skin is raw, it is very sore

    His face was raw from the cold.

    red raw (=red and sore):

    I scrubbed my hands until they were red raw.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of raw

phrases

derived word

rawness

noun [uncountable]

There was a rawness and honesty in the children's paintings.

The rawness in the air suggested snow.

This is the British English definition of raw. View American English definition of raw.

Change your default dictionary and thesaurus to American English.

 

charticle

a news article that consists of a chart … and only has a small amount of text

BuzzWord Article

Word of the Day

electron

a part of an atom that moves around the nucleus (=centre) and has a negative electrical charge

Open Dictionary

never event

an event that should never occur in a healthcare setting …

add a word

Blog

A must for anyone with an interest in the changing face of language. The Macmillan Dictionary blog explores English as it is spoken around the world today.

global English and language change from our blog