1
2

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective racy contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of racy are piquant, poignant, and pungent. While all these words mean "sharp and stimulating to the mind or the senses," racy implies having a strongly characteristic natural quality fresh and unimpaired.

spontaneous, racy prose

When might piquant be a better fit than racy?

While in some cases nearly identical to racy, piquant suggests a power to whet the appetite or interest through tartness or mild pungency.

a piquant sauce

In what contexts can poignant take the place of racy?

The synonyms poignant and racy are sometimes interchangeable, but poignant suggests something is sharply or piercingly effective in stirring one's emotions.

felt a poignant sense of loss

Where would pungent be a reasonable alternative to racy?

While the synonyms pungent and racy are close in meaning, pungent implies a sharp, stinging, or biting quality especially of odors.

a cheese with a pungent odor

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of racy But one of Zeta-Jones's posts stole the show - a racy portrait of the actress staring at herself in a bathroom mirror, wearing only a strappy pair of high heels. Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 25 Sep. 2024 She was drawn to a racy look by Ann Demeulemeester—a long white skirt with a top comprising a single white feather. Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2024 Framed on a clubhouse foyer was a racy 1990 Playboy magazine cover featuring Trump and Playmate Brandi Brandt, who has his tuxedo jacket wrapped around her otherwise nude body. Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2024 After a commercial break, Megan stepped on stage in a racy green bikini top with a teal skirt tied to metallic shorts. Charmaine Patterson, Peoplemag, 12 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for racy 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for racy
Adjective
  • Tonight: Show respect. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) ★★★★ Discussions with partners, spouses and even members of the general public will be lively today.
    Georgia Nicols, The Denver Post, 8 Nov. 2024
  • In the last year, Chea says she’s worked one or two events per month, with each gig involving two to three hours of shucking oysters for party guests and entertaining them with lively conversation.
    Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 3 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • The chicken wings could be the best of the bunch, with crisp skin lacquered in a sweet and spicy brown sugar glaze.
    Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Keep this zesty, herbaceous, and spicy Creole seasoning on hand for all of your favorite Creole dishes.
    Amanda Holstein, Southern Living, 3 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • The 2024 crime comedy Bad Boys: Ride or Die placed No. 9 on the Netflix U.S. Top 10 Movies chart, while the 2015 animated blockbuster Minions finished at No. 10.
    Tim Lammers, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Siblings and Hollywood royalty Anjelica and Danny Huston are teaming on a new project, The Christmas Witch Trial of La Befana, a hybrid animated and live-action feature film that is currently shooting in Los Angeles and Ontario, Canada.
    Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • John Zogby Grade: C Two new polls out late this week are very suggestive.
    Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 26 Oct. 2024
  • In research conducted last year by Interface and AI Forensics, the group found that users presented with a series of search suggestions most often picked the most suggestive headline available to click on.
    David Gilbert, WIRED, 16 July 2024
Adjective
  • Kamala Harris Oakland’s VP ran an energetic campaign.
    Bay Area News Group, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
  • In fact, scientists suspect that the magnetosphere coaxes Triton’s energetic particles to cross over to Neptune’s atmosphere and excite auroral flares on the planet.
    Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • The researchers found that replacing any less active behavior with five minutes of exercise could lower systolic blood pressure by 0.68 points and diastolic blood pressure by 0.54 points.
    Linda Carroll, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
  • However, many parts of the brain or cortex are not fully active if external simulations aren’t present.
    Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • The same themes animate Cusk’s nonfiction from this period.
    Andrea Long Chu, Vulture, 28 June 2024
  • While plugged in and charging but not in use, the LEDs animate with a red sweeping motion every few seconds.
    Eric Ravenscraft, WIRED, 15 Apr. 2024
Adjective
  • The brisk pace of crime-solving leaves more time for this episode to stretch out a bit with the ongoing plot strands of Captain Wagner’s concerns about workplace morale and his team’s perception of him as a leader, and Kaya and Elsbeth’s friendship.
    Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
  • Roll down the windows and breathe in the brisk, salty air.
    Tim Zientek, The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near racy

Cite this Entry

“Racy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/racy. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on racy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!