earthy

[ ur-thee ]

See synonyms for earthy on Thesaurus.com

adjective,earth·i·er, earth·i·est.

of the nature of or consisting of earth or soil.
characteristic of earth: an earthy smell.

realistic; practical.
coarse or unrefined: an earthy sense of humor.
direct; robust; unaffected: an earthy, generous woman.
(of a mineral) having a dull luster and rough to the touch.
Archaic. worldly; pertaining to the earth.

Origin of earthy

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

Other words for earthy

4	lusty, rough

See synonyms for earthy on Thesaurus.com

Opposites for earthy

4	genteel, refined

See antonyms for earthy on Thesaurus.com

Other words from earthy

earth·i·ly, adverb
earth·i·ness, noun

Words that may be confused with earthy

earthly, earthy

Words Nearby earthy

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

How to use earthy in a sentence

These sexual, earthy, animal-human deities really were opposed to everything the early Christians venerated as holy.
Meet Krampus, the Seriously Bad Santa | Jay Michaelson | December 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The colors were earthy and neutral, and the cuts were impeccably tailored.
Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, & Calvin Klein New York Fashion Week | Erin Cunningham | February 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
To stay awake Miles was eating Twizzlers, and Shailene, as usual, was drinking an earthy tea.
Exclusive: A Photo Essay on the Making of ‘The Spectacular Now’ | Michael H. Weber, Scott Neustadter | August 8, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
They contrasted earthy creations made from menswear fabrics with occasional sexy, lingerie-inspired pieces.
Valentino's 2013 Fall Couture Collection | Liza Foreman | July 4, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
A more earthy breed of futurists thinks biological engineering will transform cities and save us from extinction.
It’s the End of the World but We’ll Be Fine | Nick Romeo | May 18, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST

Thus clothed, he rolled himself several times in the sand, for his body to assume an earthy colour.
The Border Rifles | Gustave Aimard
The water drunk was measured, its saline and earthy constituents having been previously ascertained.
Domestic Animals | Richard L. Allen
Underfoot Richard could feel dry twigs crack, and he smelt the fresh earthy odor of fern brakes and bird-loved thickets.
God Wills It! | William Stearns Davis
Underneath it is yellow; above, a dull, earthy hue: nothing could render that inexplicable shade dust coloured.
Toilers of the Sea | Victor Hugo
He could not have lain there long, for the earthy smell would have passed away in a few hours.
Dracula | Bram Stoker

British Dictionary definitions for earthy

earthy

/ (ˈɜːθɪ) /

adjectiveearthier or earthiest

of, composed of, or characteristic of earth
robust, lusty, or uninhibited

unrefined, coarse, or crude
an archaic word for worldly (def. 1)
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

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