Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Having a distinctive and characteristic quality or taste.
  • adjective Strong and sharp in flavor or odor; piquant or pungent.
  • adjective Risqué; ribald.
  • adjective Vigorous; lively.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Having an agreeably peculiar flavor, of a kind that may be supposed to be imparted by the soil, as wine; peculiarly palatable.
  • Having a strong distinctive and agreeable quality of any kind; spirited; pungent; piquant; spicy: as, a racy style; a racy anecdote.
  • Pertaining to race or kind; racially distinctive or peculiar; of native origin or quality.
  • Synonyms and Racy, Spicy. These words agree in expressing a quality that is relished, physically or mentally. Literally, racy applies to the peculiar flavor which wines derive from the soil, and spicy to the flavor given to food, breezes, etc., by spice. Figuratively, that is racy which is agreeably fresh and distinctive in thought and expression; that is spicy which is agreeably pungent to the mind, producing a sensation comparable to that which spice produces in taste. Pointedness is essential to spiciness, and likely to be found in raciness.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Having a strong flavor indicating origin; of distinct characteristic taste; tasting of the soil; hence, fresh; rich.
  • adjective Hence: Exciting to the mental taste by a strong or distinctive character of thought or language; peculiar and piquant; fresh and lively.
  • adjective somewhat suggestive of sexual themes; slightly improper; risqué.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Having a strong flavor indicating origin; of distinct characteristic taste; tasting of the soil; hence, fresh; rich.
  • adjective Hence: Exciting to the mental taste by a strong or distinctive character of thought or language; peculiar and piquant; fresh and lively.
  • adjective Mildly risque, exciting.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective designed or suitable for competing in a race
  • adjective full of zest or vigor
  • adjective marked by richness and fullness of flavor
  • adjective suggestive of sexual impropriety

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From race.]

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Examples

  • Alright, i have read and understood both sides of this controversy .. and all i have to say is; Miley is 15 years old, though it may not be the best way for her to potray herself, its what they do. im 17, and when i was her age, i took what you call racy pictures as well, shes just having fun and doing what any teenage girl does.

    Video: Annie Leibovitz and Miley Cyrus: Vanity Fair Fair, Vanity 2008

  • But there's nothing terribly racy from the 19th century.

    Boing Boing 2008

  • “Democ­racy is on the way out,” (Haim Harari) or “We might all destroy our­selves” (Howard Gard­ner).

    Happy New Year ’06 « Snarkmarket 2006

  • The Sex and Shanghai website, which was not immediately accessible today, chronicled in racy language the exploits of the author who claimed to be an English teacher at a local university.

    Hoax Blogsite Causes China Furor | Impact Lab 2006

  • I'm not sure if there's any way to adapt JE without making the plot seem cheap and rickety; without Bronte's sinewy sentences--what the Victorians would have called "racy"--the events all too easily devolve into the stuff of pure pop fiction.

    Jane Eyre (1) 2007

  • I'm not sure if there's any way to adapt JE without making the plot seem cheap and rickety; without Bronte's sinewy sentences--what the Victorians would have called "racy"--the events all too easily devolve into the stuff of pure pop fiction.

    The Little Professor: 2007

  • Grubbs has reportedly told this week's edition of Us Weekly magazine that she began an affair with Woods in April 2007 and '' she has more than 300 text messages - some of them described as 'racy' - to prove it ''.

    Stuff.co.nz - Stuff 2009

  • Us Weekly magazine that she had a 31-month affair with Woods, starting in April 2007, and that she has more than 300 text messages - some of them described as "racy" - to prove it.

    Top stories from Times Online 2009

  • Grubbs has reportedly told this week's edition of Us Weekly magazine that she began an affair with Woods in April 2007 and '' she has more than 300 text messages - some of them described as 'racy' - to prove it ''.

    Stuff.co.nz - Stuff By THOMAS HUNTER 2009

  • You’re right to put some of the focus on the peo­ple, but at the same time, even a democ­racy is a state — with all the appa­ra­tus of a state, the exec­u­tive & mil­i­tary power & respon­si­bil­ity — so the peo­ple only par­tic­i­pate to apoint.

    Justice and Statehood « Snarkmarket 2006

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