raw
/rɔː
/adjective
1(Of food) not cooked: raw eggs salsify can be eaten raw in salads...
- Our mothers cooked real food from raw ingredients, making magical meals out of very little.
- Both dishes were marvellous; fine raw ingredients cooked to juicy, succulent perfection and allowed to stand for themselves without the need for endless sauces and marinades.
- Pregnant women should avoid foods made with raw or partially cooked eggs, like egg nog and hollandaise sauce.
Synonyms
uncooked, fresh;
underdone
1.1(Of a material or substance) in its natural state; unprocessed: raw silk raw sewage...
- One thing you should remember - unless you have gone rustic and want to play with stone and raw wood - building materials come in standard sizes.
- Similar in texture and appearance to paint, these materials can be applied to almost any building material, including raw wood, drywall and steel.
- The bride looked stunning in an ivory and gold raw silk dress of Irish design and carried a bouquet of delicate cream roses.
Synonyms
unprocessed, untreated, unrefined, crude, natural, unmilled, unprepared, unfinished;
green
1.2(Of data) not analysed, evaluated, or processed for use: there were a number of errors in the raw data...
- Sometimes it is justifiable to go beyond raw statistics.
- I'm a bit cloudy on the dates, so I'll leave those out and just go with the raw facts.
- Here, we discuss some of more interesting preliminary findings garnered from a descriptive statistical analysis of the raw data.
2(Of a part of the body) red and painful, especially as the result of skin abrasion: he scrubbed his hands until they were raw...
- My hands still bleed if I move my fingers too quickly, but the doc says the raw skin and general tenderness will gradually go away.
- Washing your hands so often that that your skin is raw and bleeding - that I can see too.
- The wounds were still too raw and painful for the fragile bandages to be removed.
Synonyms
sore, red, inflamed, painful, sensitive, tender;
abraded, chafed, skinned, open, exposed, unhealed, bloody
technical excoriated
2.1(Of a person’s nerves) very sensitive: Fran’s nerves were raw...
- It was too emotive a subject, the public's nerves were too raw, and I was convinced my publisher would have no appetite for a book whose subject matter was ripped from today's headlines.
- I was surprised and amused that my letter should have hit such a raw nerve with Mrs Jones.
- The news agenda has left the realm of shock and raw nerves and moved into the world of political negotiation, peace-keeping forces and re-building programmes.
3(Of an emotion or quality) strong and undisguised: he exuded an air of raw, vibrant masculinity...
- The fast footwork, rhythmic clapping and haunting singing radiate an atmosphere of passion and raw emotion.
- It would be a shame, this team has worked so hard all year and the passion and raw emotion with which they play is something this competition needs desperately.
- The event is expected to be a supercharged night of high emotion and raw nostalgia when one of the greatest adventure stories of all time will be told by the men who made it happen.
Synonyms
strong, intense, passionate, fervent, vehement, powerful, violent, acute;
undisguised, unconcealed, unrestrained, uninhibited
3.1Frank and realistic in the depiction of unpleasant situations: a raw, uncompromising portrait...
- Each of the three tracks on the EP convey a sense of raw realism.
- She felt Adam was getting the raw end of the situation.
- The result is raw confrontation, sometimes unpleasant in its intensity.
Synonyms
realistic, true to life, unembellished, unvarnished, gritty, naked, bare, brutal, harsh;
frank, candid, honest, forthright, straightforward, direct, blunt, outspoken
informal warts and all
3.2US informal (Of language) coarse or crude, typically in relation to sexual matters: his wife has led a campaign against raw lyrics in rock music...
- People offended by raw language, and even rougher depictions of street life, should steer clear.
- The author masterfully captures the narratives by using humor, raw language and thought-provoking descriptions.
- His language is raw and delivery raucous, but his intelligent and insightful material will make you think.
Synonyms
unsophisticated, crude, rough, unpolished, unrefined, undeveloped
4(Of the weather) cold and damp; bleak: a raw February night...
- The dreary skies and raw weather suggested November, not mid-May.
- Luckily, while the weather was cold - 30 to 36 degrees - it wasn't a raw cold.
- It was raw, damp, dark, and dismal; the clouds were as muddy as the ground; and the short perspective of every street and avenue, was closed up by the mist as by a filthy curtain.
Synonyms
bleak, cold, chilly, chilling, chill, freezing, icy, icy-cold, wintry, bitter, biting, piercing, penetrating, sharp, keen, damp, wet
informal nippy
British informal parky
5New to an activity or job and therefore lacking experience or skill: they were replaced by raw recruits...
- Almost half of today's Army is married - some of them raw recruits.
- Brigadier Monro's staff of 600 Army personnel and 200 civilians will help to turn raw recruits into trained soldiers.
- The modest brick building at the heart of Europe's biggest military base has become refuge to thousands of raw recruits.
Synonyms
inexperienced, new, lacking experience, untrained, unskilled, unpractised, untried, untested, unseasoned, untutored, unschooled;
callow, immature, green, ignorant, naive, unsophisticated
informal wet behind the ears
6(Of the edge of a piece of cloth) not having a hem or selvedge: oversewing is used to neaten raw edges...
- Make sure the loop stitching on the underside is covering the hem raw edge.
- Serge-finish the raw edges and seam with a straight stitch.
- Showcase a variety of fabrics on the one side, featuring curved piecing and bias bars covering all raw edges.
7South African derogatory From a traditional tribal or rural culture: they are mainly raw tribesmen who are intensely conservative
Phrases
come the raw prawn
in the raw
a raw deal
touch someone on the raw
Derivatives
rawish
rawly
- The orchestral sound was revelatory, specifically for the way the instruments paradoxically seemed to gain a new individuality, rawly expressive, yet to be part of a more than usually cohesive ensemble.
- The role of the UN has been rawly exposed in the current crisis.
- Her view of her homeland may be ambivalent but it is rawly accurate.
rawness
/ noun ...- I suppose you never lose the sensitivity and the rawness that an unpleasant comment can bring to you.
- The rawness of his ruthlessness was there for all to see.
- He says the rawness of the genre continues to enthrall him.
Origin
Old English hrēaw, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch rauw and German roh, from an Indo-European root shared by Greek kreas 'raw flesh'.
This Old English word shares an ancient root with Greek kreas ‘raw flesh’. In Australian English a stupid person can be referred to as a prawn (ME of unknown origin), and to come the raw prawn is to attempt to deceive someone, presumably by pretending that you are too simple to cheat.