racy

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: rac=y

CIDE DICTIONARY

racy, a. [From Race a tribe, family.].

•  Having a strong flavor indicating origin; of distinct characteristic taste; tasting of the soil; hence, fresh; rich.  [1913 Webster]

  "The racy wine,
  Late from the mellowing cask restored to light."  [1913 Webster]
•  Hence: Exciting to the mental taste by a strong or distinctive character of thought or language; peculiar and piquant; fresh and lively.  [1913 Webster]

  "Our raciest, most idiomatic popular words."  [1913 Webster]

  "Burns's English, though not so racy as his Scotch, is generally correct."  [1913 Webster]

  "The rich and racy humor of a natural converser fresh from the plow."  [1913 Webster]
•  somewhat suggestive of sexual themes; slightly improper; risqué.  [PJC]

  "Rich, racy verses, in which we
  The soil from which they come, taste, smell, and see."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Spicy; spirited; lively; smart; piquant; risqu'81.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

racy, adj. (racier, raciest)
1 lively and vigorous in style.
2 risqu{eacute}, suggestive.
3 having characteristic qualities in a high degree (a racy flavour).

Derivative

racily adv. raciness n.

Etymology

RACE(2) + -Y(1)

THESAURUS

racy

adult, animated, bawdy, blue, brisk, broad, buoyant, burning, coarse, crude, curried, dirty, dynamic, earthy, energetic, exciting, fiery, filthy, flavorful, fresh, full of beans, full of pep, gross, high-seasoned, hot, hot as pepper, immodest, indecent, indelicate, interesting, inviting, juicy, lewd, lively, lusty, mettlesome, naughty, nippy, obscene, off color, off-color, peppery, peppy, piquant, poignant, pornographic, provocative, provoking, pungent, purple, raunchy, readable, ribald, rich, risky, risque, rude, salacious, salty, savory, scabrous, seasoned, sexual, sexy, shady, sharp, smutty, snappy, sparkling, spiced, spicy, spirited, sprightly, stimulating, strong, succulent, suggestive, tangy, tantalizing, tart, tasty, thought-challenging, thought-inspiring, thought-provoking, tickling, titillating, vigorous, vivacious, vulgar, wicked, with a kick, zestful, zesty, zippy

ROGET THESAURUS

racy

Vigor

N vigor, power, force, boldness, raciness, intellectual, force, spirit, point, antithesis, piquance, piquancy, verve, glow, fire, warmth, strong language, gravity, sententiousness, elevation, loftiness, sublimity, eloquence, command of words, command of language, vigorous, nervous, powerful, forcible, trenchant, incisive, impressive, sensational, spirited, lively, glowing, sparkling, racy, bold, slashing, pungent, piquant, full of point, pointed, pithy, antithetical, sententious, lofty, elevated, sublime, eloquent, vehement, petulant, impassioned, poetic, in glowing terms, in good set terms, in no measured terms, thoughts that breath and words that burn.

Feeling

N feeling, suffering, endurance, tolerance, sufferance, supportance, experience, response, sympathy, impression, inspiration, affection, sensation, emotion, pathos, deep sense, warmth, glow, unction, gusto, vehemence, fervor, fervency, heartiness, cordiality, earnestness, eagerness, empressement, gush, ardor, zeal, passion, enthusiasm, verve, furore, fanaticism, excitation of feeling, fullness of the heart, passion, ecstasy, blush, suffusion, flush, hectic, tingling, thrill, turn, shock, agitation, quiver, heaving, flutter, flurry, fluster, twitter, tremor, throb, throbbing, pulsation, palpitation, panting, trepidation, perturbation, ruffle, hurry of spirits, pother, stew, ferment, state of excitement, feeling, sentient, sensuous, sensorial, sensory, emotive, emotional, of feeling, with feeling, warm, quick, lively, smart, strong, sharp, acute, cutting, piercing, incisive, keen, keen as a razor, trenchant, pungent, racy, piquant, poignant, caustic, impressive, deep, profound, indelible, deep felt, home felt, heartfelt, swelling, soul-stirring, deep-mouthed, heart-expanding, electric, thrilling, rapturous, ecstatic, earnest, wistful, eager, breathless, fervent, fervid, gushing, passionate, warm-hearted, hearty, cordial, sincere, zealous, enthusiastic, glowing, ardent, burning, red-hot, fiery, flaming, boiling over, pervading, penetrating, absorbing, rabid, raving, feverish, fanatical, hysterical, impetuous, impressed with, moved with, touched with, affected with, penetrated with, seized with, imbued with, devoured by, wrought up, struck all of a heap, rapt, in a quiver, enraptured, heart and soul, from the bottom of one's heart, ab imo pectore, at heart, con amore, heartily, devoutly, over head and ears, head over heels, the heart big, the heart full, the heart swelling, the heart beating, the heart pulsating, the heart throbbing, the heart thumping, the heart beating high, the heart melting, the heart overflowing, the heart bursting, the heart breaking, the heart goes out, a heart as big as all outdoors (sympathy).

Physical Energy

N energy, physical energy, force, power, keenness, intensity, vigor, strength, elasticity, go, high pressure, fire, rush, acrimony, acritude, causiticity, virulence, poignancy, harshness, severity, edge, point, pungency, cantharides, seasoning, activity, agitation, effervescence, ferment, fermentation, ebullition, splutter, perturbation, stir, bustle, voluntary energy, quicksilver, resolution, exertion, excitation, strong, energetic, forcible, active, intense, deep-dyed, severe, keen, vivid, sharp, acute, incisive, trenchant, brisk, rousing, irritation, poignant, virulent, caustic, corrosive, mordant, harsh, stringent, double-edged, double-shotted, double- distilled, drastic, escharotic, racy, potent, radioactive, strongly, fortiter in re, with telling effect, the steam is up, vires acquirit eundo, the race by vigor not by vaunts is won.

Pungency

N pungency, piquance, piquancy, poignancy haut-gout, strong taste, twang, race, sharpness, acrimony, roughness, unsavoriness, mustard, cayenne, caviare, seasoning, niter, saltpeter, brine (saltiness), carbonate of ammonia, sal ammoniac, sal volatile, smelling salts, hartshorn (acridity), dram, cordial, nip, nicotine, tobacco, snuff, quid, smoke, segar, cigar, cigarette, weed, fragrant weed, Indian weed, Cavendish, fid, negro head, old soldier, rappee, stogy, pungent, strong, high-, full-flavored, high-tasted, high-seasoned, gamy, sharp, stinging, rough, piquant, racy, biting, mordant, spicy, seasoned, hot, hot as pepper, peppery, vellicating, escharotic, meracious, acrid, acrimonious, bitter, rough, unsavory.