earthy

[ ur-thee ]

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.

3. realistic; practical.
4. coarse or unrefined:

   an earthy sense of humor.

   Synonyms: rough, lusty

   Antonyms: refined, genteel

5. direct; robust; unaffected:

   an earthy, generous woman.

6. (of a mineral) having a dull luster and rough to the touch.
7. Archaic. worldly; pertaining to the earth.

earthy

/ ˈɜːθɪ /

adjective

1. of, composed of, or characteristic of earth
2. robust, lusty, or uninhibited
3. unrefined, coarse, or crude
4. See worldly
   an archaic word for worldly
5. electrical engineering on the earthed side of an electrical circuit, but not necessarily with a direct current connection to earth

Derived Forms

• ˈearthily, adverb
• ˈearthiness, noun

Other Words From

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of earthy¹

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

Example Sentences

Here, they’re boosted with mezcal and elderflower for a bright and earthy brew.

From Washington Post

What her various tacos share is a delicious trio of soft corn tortillas and garnishes of chopped raw onion and earthy cilantro.

From Washington Post

The presentation is festive and elegant, and each bite-size piece is a sensation of sweet, earthy, fresh, chewy and creamy.

From Washington Post

Once dug up, it rapidly loses moisture and that mesmerizing earthy essence.

From Fortune

This earthy, filling dish is wonderfully flavorful in a flash and completely vegetarian.

From Washington Post

These sexual, earthy, animal-human deities really were opposed to everything the early Christians venerated as holy.

From The Daily Beast

The colors were earthy and neutral, and the cuts were impeccably tailored.

From The Daily Beast

To stay awake Miles was eating Twizzlers, and Shailene, as usual, was drinking an earthy tea.

From The Daily Beast

They contrasted earthy creations made from menswear fabrics with occasional sexy, lingerie-inspired pieces.

From The Daily Beast

A more earthy breed of futurists thinks biological engineering will transform cities and save us from extinction.

From The Daily Beast

Thus clothed, he rolled himself several times in the sand, for his body to assume an earthy colour.

From Project Gutenberg

The water drunk was measured, its saline and earthy constituents having been previously ascertained.

From Project Gutenberg

Underfoot Richard could feel dry twigs crack, and he smelt the fresh earthy odor of fern brakes and bird-loved thickets.

From Project Gutenberg

Underneath it is yellow; above, a dull, earthy hue: nothing could render that inexplicable shade dust coloured.

From Project Gutenberg

He could not have lain there long, for the earthy smell would have passed away in a few hours.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• down-to-earth
• folksy
• funky
• homey
• simple