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Synonyms

racy

American  
[rey-see] / ˈreɪ si /

adjective

racier, raciest

  1. slightly improper or indelicate; suggestive; risqué.

  2. vigorous; lively; spirited.

    Synonyms:
    animated
    Antonyms:
    slow

  3. sprightly; piquant; pungent.

    a racy literary style.
    Synonyms:
    strong

  4. having an agreeably peculiar taste or flavor, as wine, fruit, etc.

racy British  
/ ˈreɪsɪ /

adjective

  1. (of a person's manner, literary style, etc) having a distinctively lively and spirited quality; fresh

  2. having a characteristic or distinctive flavour

    a racy wine

  3. suggestive; slightly indecent; risqué

    a racy comedy
"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

Other Word Forms

  • racily adverb
  • raciness noun

Etymology

Origin of racy

First recorded in 1645–55; race 2 + -y 1

Explanation

Something that's racy is zesty and exciting. The racy thriller you checked out of the library is so engrossing that you can't put it down, even at bedtime. You can use the adjective racy for things that are robust or full of flavor, especially wine. It's also a good way to describe zesty, thrilling things, like racy movie plots, as well as things that are bawdy or verge on inappropriate, like the racy videos that are blocked on your school's computers. This word comes from an old meaning of race, "flavor."

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“The Idol” was as racy as “Euphoria” but rife with creative issues as the original director left and Levinson took over.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

ABC as a broadcast network is held to higher standard than it's streaming partner Hulu due to oversight by the federal regulator and advertisers, who may be skittish when it comes to racy programming.

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

R&B star Ashanti finally addressed racy remarks made by estranged Murder Inc. producer Irv Gotti, who said they dated and who spent years discrediting her.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 12, 2023

While the film will especially appeal to LGBTQ+ viewers, its moving human story and racy plot has something for everyone, Freeman said.

From Reuters • Feb. 24, 2023

This, I knew, was the racy name given to Atlanta, Georgia.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.