earthy

[ ur-thee ]
See synonyms for: earthyearthiness on Thesaurus.com

adjective,earth·i·er, earth·i·est.
  1. of the nature of or consisting of earth or soil.

  2. characteristic of earth: an earthy smell.

  1. realistic; practical.

  2. coarse or unrefined: an earthy sense of humor.

  3. direct; robust; unaffected: an earthy, generous woman.

  4. (of a mineral) having a dull luster and rough to the touch.

  5. Archaic. worldly; pertaining to the earth.

Origin of earthy

1
First recorded in 1350–1400, earthy is from the Middle English word erthy.See earth, -y1

Other words for earthy

Opposites for earthy

Other words from earthy

  • earth·i·ly, adverb
  • earth·i·ness, noun

Words that may be confused with earthy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use earthy in a sentence

  • Ryan explained: the citrus of Sauvignon Blanc plays off lemon and lime well, but the oak roped in the earthiness of the spinach.

    The Secrets of Matchmaking | Katie Workman | August 11, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • It has an earthiness to it that pairs nicely with mushrooms or other earthy flavors, and it also works well with anything spicy.

    The Official Beverage of France | Katie Workman | August 4, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • His frank desire for money has the disarming earthiness of a strictly budgeting housewife from Peoria.

    Don't Give It to Mickey! | Lee Siegel | February 21, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • There is in his very earthiness something that brings its own cleansing, as water is cleansed by passing through the ground.

    Knut Hamsun | Hanna Astrup Larsen
  • For all its golden earthiness, the style of Debussy is the most liquid and impalpable of musical styles.

    Musical Portraits | Paul Rosenfeld
  • So to Una there was the world-old shock at the earthiness of love—and the penetrating joy of that earthiness.

    The Job | Sinclair Lewis
  • The spring air in Green River had been full of sweet moisture and earthiness from these steaming meadow-lands.

    Jane Field | Mary E. Wilkins Freeman
  • In the midst of soddenest earthiness their fiery wings pierce the night.

    I, Mary MacLane | Mary MacLane

British Dictionary definitions for earthy

earthy

/ (ˈɜːθɪ) /


adjectiveearthier or earthiest
  1. of, composed of, or characteristic of earth

  2. robust, lusty, or uninhibited

  1. unrefined, coarse, or crude

  2. an archaic word for worldly (def. 1)

  3. electrical engineering on the earthed side of an electrical circuit, but not necessarily with a direct current connection to earth

Derived forms of earthy

  • earthily, adverb
  • earthiness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012