racy

1 of 2

adjective (1)

ˈrā-sē 

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

ˈrā-sə-lē 

adverb

raciness

ˈrā-sē-nəs 

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

Synonyms

Adjective (1)

• active
• airy
• animate
• animated
• bouncing
• brisk
• energetic
• frisky
• gay
• jaunty
• jazzy
• kinetic
• lively
• mettlesome
• peppy
• perky
• pert
• pizzazzy
• pizazzy
• snappy
• spanking
• sparky
• spirited
• sprightly
• springy
• vital
• vivacious
• zippy

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

Adjective

Its worth has since plunged to around $576 billion, ranking it alongside less racy companies like Visa and Walmart. —Jack Ewing, New York Times, 13 June 2024

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, 11 June 2024

Of particular interest is where Milton crossed out a particularly racy passage about the mother of William the Conqueror, Arlete (Herleva), mistress of Duke Robert I of Normandy. —Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 15 May 2024

Now those bots may wind up being drowned out by authentic human accounts promoting the same sort of racy content that is usually relegated to seedier corners of the internet. —Bypaolo Confino, Fortune, 3 June 2024

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

Kids Definition

racy

1 of 2 adjective

ˈrā-sē 

racier; raciest

1

: full of energy or keen enjoyment

2

: slightly indecent or improper

racy jokes

racily

-sə-lē 

adverb

raciness

-sē-nəs 

noun

racy

2 of 2 adjective

racier; raciest

: being long-bodied and lean