racier; raciest
1
a
: full of zest or vigor
b
: having a strongly marked quality : piquant
a racy flavor
c
: risqué, suggestive
racy jokes
2
: having the distinctive quality of something in its original or most characteristic form
racily adverb
raciness noun

racy

2 of 2

adjective (2)

racier; raciest
: having a body or shape that is suited for racing
a racy dog
a car with racy lines
Choose the Right Synonym for racy

pungent, piquant, poignant, racy mean sharp and stimulating to the mind or the senses.

pungent implies a sharp, stinging, or biting quality especially of odors.

a cheese with a pungent odor

piquant suggests a power to whet the appetite or interest through tartness or mild pungency.

a piquant sauce

poignant suggests something is sharply or piercingly effective in stirring one's emotions.

felt a poignant sense of loss

racy implies having a strongly characteristic natural quality fresh and unimpaired.

spontaneous, racy prose

Examples of racy in a Sentence

Adjective (1) vivid writing and a racy plot that keeps readers turning the pages a raunchy comedy with language that was a little too racy for an eight-year-old child
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
The singer-songwriter recounted how Katelyn jumped into the series when a more racy moment played out on screen. Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025 His latest post of the beauty, however, may have been a little too racy to keep up on his social media. Jessica Bennett, VIBE.com, 14 Jan. 2025 Even Ferrell himself fumbled over the racy lines, which elicited so much laughter that both Thompson and Murphy struggled to hold back their smiles. Angela Andaloro, People.com, 17 Feb. 2025 According to a Variety report, the final installment of the racy teen melodrama was dogged by rewrites until the network announced the official delay earlier this week. Zoe Guy, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for racy

Word History

Etymology

Adjective (1)

race entry 1

Adjective (2)

race entry 2

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

circa 1650, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective (2)

1841, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of racy was circa 1650

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Racy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/racy. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

racy

1 of 2 adjective
racier; raciest
1
: full of energy or keen enjoyment
2
: slightly indecent or improper
racy jokes
racily adverb
raciness noun

racy

2 of 2 adjective
racier; raciest
: being long-bodied and lean

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