raunchy
Americanadjective
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vulgar or smutty; crude; earthy; obscene.
a raunchy joke.
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dirty; slovenly; grubby.
adjective
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openly sexual; lusty; earthy
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slovenly or untidy
Other Word Forms
- raunchily adverb
- raunchiness noun
Etymology
Origin of raunchy
An Americanism dating back to 1935–40; origin uncertain
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.
“Spinal Tap” sent-up self-important band documentaries like “The Last Waltz”; “The Sure Thing” attempted to liberate the teen sex comedy from raunchy “Porky’s”-style copycats.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 15, 2025
In the late 1990s and early aughts, the conservative Parents Television Council struck fear in the hearts of network TV executives for its high-profile campaigns against shows it deemed too raunchy.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 10, 2025
The film wasn’t poking fun at gay men, nor was it particularly raunchy.
From Salon • Jun. 21, 2025
The joke is mildly funny to liberal America, where no one is surprised that women can have raunchy senses of humor.
From Salon • Dec. 31, 2024
How could he leave me in that raunchy bar and go off with his woman?
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
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.
