earthy

[ ur-thee ]

/ ˈɜr θi /

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.

QUIZZES

Discover The Influence Of Portuguese On English Via This Quiz!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?

Question 1 of 11

Which of the following bird names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?

owl

crow

piranha

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby earthy

earthward, earthwards, earthwoman, earthwork, earthworm, earthy, earwax, earwig, earwigging, earwitness, earworm

Origin of earthy

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

SYNONYMS FOR earthy

4 lusty, rough.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR earthy ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR earthy

4 genteel, refined.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR earthy ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM earthy

earth·i·ly, adverbearth·i·ness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH earthy

earthly earthy (see synonym study at earthly)

Example sentences from the Web for 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|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|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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

The earthy smell of fresh grass fills the air in late afternoon.
Inside the Gaddafis' Lair|Babak Dehghanpisheh|August 25, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The remains of man, too, add to the earthy coating that covers the face of the globe.
Man and Nature|George P. Marsh
The earthy moisture of the soil and undergrowth was as the odour of a charnel-house.
Haviland's Chum|Bertram Mitford
Who would not stay in an earthy paradise ten minutes longer, even though it did make purgatory the hotter afterward?
The Hoosier Schoolmaster|Edward Eggleston
It hastens the decay of vegetable matter, and the finer comminution of the earthy parts of the soil.
The Elements of Agriculture|George E. Waring
It is true that we are in a measure of the earth, earthy; we belong to the world.
Gospel Doctrine|Joseph F. Smith

British Dictionary definitions for earthy

earthy

/ (ˈɜːθɪ) /

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 forms of earthy

earthily, 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