raspy
Americanadjective
-
raspier,
comparative
-
raspiest
superlative
-
harsh; grating; rasping.
-
easily annoyed; irritable.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of raspy
Explanation
A sound is raspy when it is rough or scratchy. If you get a bad cold or scream encouragement to a losing team for a few hours, you will end up with a raspy voice. A rasp is a tool, usually used by wood- or metal-workers, to scrape. Nail files and kitchen graters do the same work that a rasp does. A raspy voice sounds like it had to pass through a rasp or a grater to get out of your mouth. If you can barely speak, you might ask for water in a raspy whisper. Other sounds can seem raspy too like a dry cough, the caw of a crow or the bark of a dog that has been at it for a long time.
Vocabulary lists containing raspy
The Catcher in the Rye
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A Thousand Splendid Suns
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Orbiting Jupiter
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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.
See Examples For:
She was known for her raspy vocals, offering listeners an edgier sound that also melded rock and pop.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
And a fire survivor sitting nearby, his voice raspy, says he finds it all "terrifying" because "every story is the same."
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
Biden had a raspy voice, which his team said was because he was ill, and a moment where he seemed to lose his train of thought.
From BBC ● May 27, 2026
Sitting outside, she tells the camera in a raspy voice, “To whoever has her or knows where she is, it’s never too late.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 16, 2026
I lean forward and grab my knees and try to take a normal breath, but it keeps coming in those awful raspy whoops, and that spins me out even more.
From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell
Thomas was recovering from laryngitis while recording the soundtrack version and his vocals are raspier than for the track released on its own.
From Seattle Times ● May 29, 2021
His voice was lower and raspier than when he had left the White House—you can hear the difference in the video—and his lethargy worried some aides.
From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2020
Her voice is raspier than it used to be, which is probably why she rapped more than she sang.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2018
In a cacophony of squeaky children at home, relatives could always distinguish Sha’Quille’s low, raspier voice.
From New York Times ● May 5, 2016
“Please work,” he repeats, this time raspier and more panicked.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
I needed to leave, he told me in the raspiest voice I’d ever heard.
From Slate ● Apr. 5, 2023
I spun the dials and finally concentrated on one announcer—you know who I mean—with the raspiest, most grating voice this side of a vixen file.
From Cue for Quiet by Thomas L. Sherred
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.
