raw

American  

[raw] / rɔ /

adjective

rawer, rawest

1. uncooked, as articles of food.

   a raw carrot.

2. not having undergone processes of preparing, dressing, finishing, refining, or manufacture.

   raw cotton.

   Synonyms:

   makeshift, rough, unprepared

3. unnaturally or painfully exposed, as flesh, by removal of the skin or natural integument.

4. painfully open, as a sore or wound.

5. crude in quality or character; not tempered or refined by art or taste.

   raw humor.

6. ignorant, inexperienced, or untrained.

   a raw recruit.

   Synonyms:

   unpracticed, unskilled, green, undisciplined

7. brutally or grossly frank.

   a raw portrayal of human passions.

8. brutally harsh or unfair.

   a raw deal; receiving raw treatment from his friends.

9. disagreeably damp and chilly, as the weather or air.

   a raw, foggy day at the beach.

   Synonyms:

   wet, cold

10. not diluted, as alcoholic spirits.

    raw whiskey.

    Synonyms:

    neat, straight

11. unprocessed or unevaluated.

    raw data.

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noun

1. a sore or irritated place, as on the flesh.

2. unrefined sugar, oil, etc.

idioms

1. in the raw,

   1. in the natural, uncultivated, or unrefined state.

      nature in the raw.

   2. Informal. in the nude; naked.

      sunbathing in the raw.

raw British  

/ rɔː /

adjective

1. (of food) not cooked

   raw onion

2. (prenominal) in an unfinished, natural, or unrefined state; not treated by manufacturing or other processes

   raw materials for making steel

   raw brick

3. (of an edge of material) unhemmed; liable to fray

4. (of the skin, a wound, etc) having the surface exposed or abraded, esp painfully

5. ignorant, inexperienced, or immature

   a raw recruit

6. (prenominal) not selected or modified

   raw statistics

7. frank or realistic

   a raw picture of the breakdown of a marriage

8. (of spirits) undiluted

9. coarse, vulgar, or obscene

10. recently done; fresh

    raw paintwork

11. (of the weather) harshly cold and damp

12. informal unfair; unjust (esp in the phrase a raw deal )

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noun

1. informal a sensitive point

   his criticism touched me on the raw

2. 1. informal without clothes; naked

   2. in a natural or unmodified state

      life in the raw

raw More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing raw

• in the altogether (raw)

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Usage

What does raw mean? Raw describes something that hasn’t been cooked, as in The butcher put a pile of raw meat on the table. Raw can also describe something that hasn’t been processed or refined, as in Raw cotton must be cleaned of plant parts before it can be made into thread or fabric. Raw also refers to skin that was painfully removed, as in The uncomfortable pants rubbed my knees raw. As well, raw can refer to someone who lacks experience or training, as in The rookie detective was too raw to be of any help to the veteran investigator. Raw is rarely used as a noun. It is sometimes used in the idiom in the raw, meaning a natural, unprocessed state or, more informally, referring to something done while naked. Example: The diners became very ill after eating chicken that was more raw that cooked.

Related Words

Raw, crude, rude refer to something not in a finished or highly refined state. Raw applies particularly to material not yet changed by a process, by manufacture, or by preparation for consumption: raw cotton; raw leather. Crude refers to that which still needs refining: crude petroleum. Rude refers to what is still in a condition of rough simplicity or in a makeshift or roughly made form: rude agricultural implements; the rude bridge that arched the flood.

Other Word Forms

• half-raw adjective
• rawish adjective
• rawishness noun
• rawly adverb
• rawness noun
• semiraw adjective
• semirawly adverb
• semirawness noun

Etymology

Origin of raw

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English hrēaw, hrǣw; cognate with Dutch rauw, German roh; akin to Latin crūdus “raw” ( see crude), cruor “blood,” Greek kréas “raw flesh” ( see creatine)

Explanation

Something that's raw is uncooked. A ripe raw tomato tastes very different from one that's slowly roasted with olive oil. Raw food isn't heated, and while raw fruits and vegetables are usually delicious, raw eggs and meat can be dangerous. When you use the word raw to describe things that aren't edible, it generally means "in a natural, untreated state," like raw silk or raw wood. You might also have raw feelings or raw emotions — these are basic and out in the open. The Old English root is hreaw, "uncooked," from a Germanic source.

Example Sentences

This will be raw and uncomfortable because it will involve trying to build relationships between people who were hurt and who, in many cases, actively supported that pain.

From Salon • Apr. 28, 2026

The company also faces logistics and raw material cost pressure from the Middle East conflict, they add.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

"He's kind of a raw, athletic ball of clay, if you will," said Miami's general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan.

From BBC • Apr. 26, 2026

A year later, the bill is still being processed, but I’m on track to see a $200 reduction in the raw bill.

From Slate • Apr. 25, 2026

Nighthand’s voice was one of raw glee—and at it the three karkadanns wheeled round on their hind legs, turned, and galloped away toward it.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

Related Words

• basic
• coarse
• crude
• fresh
• natural
• organic
• rough
• uncooked
• undercooked
• unprocessed
• untreated