earthy

[ur-thee]

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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

Related formsearth·i·ly, adverbearth·i·ness, noun

Can be confusedearthly earthy (see synonym study at earthly)

Synonyms for earthy

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4. lusty, rough.

Antonyms for earthy

4. genteel, refined.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for earthy

folksy, simple, funky, homey, down-to-earth, bawdy, coarse, crude, down, dull, easygoing, hard-boiled, homely, indelicate, lusty, mundane, natural, pragmatic, ribald, robust

Examples from the Web for earthy

Contemporary Examples of earthy

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 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
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
Romney is like the sheriff of Nottingham: all castle, no conviction; which makes Newt Gingrich the earthy Friar Tuck.
Romney and Gingrich Set the GOP on a Path Toward Self-Destruction
John Batchelor
January 30, 2012
The earthy smell of fresh grass fills the air in late afternoon.
Inside the Gaddafis' Lair
Babak Dehghanpisheh
August 25, 2011

Historical Examples of earthy

My anger and disgust at his gross earthy egoism had vanished.
Green Mansions
W. H. Hudson
He was, however, an individual of earthy hue, with precocious wrinkles.
Criminal Man
Gina Lombroso-Ferrero
The appearance of these two girls in this earthy family was anomalous.
The Man Who Wins
Robert Herrick
All about the air swam with pleasant, heated, drowsy, earthy odors.
The Man Who Wins
Robert Herrick
It had an earthy, insipid taste, and is described as "unctuous."
The Book of the Damned
Charles Fort

British Dictionary definitions for earthy

earthy

adjective earthier 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 Formsearthily, adverbearthiness, 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

Word Origin and History for earthy

adj.

1550s, from earth + -y (2). Figurative sense of "coarse, unrefined" is from 1590s. Related: Earthiness.