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Meaning & use

raspy

adjective·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈrɑːspi/
US/ˈræspi/

Meaning

  1. adjectivecomparable

    Rough and scratchy in sound, like a voice made hoarse by a sore throat, shouting or smoking.

    Grammar: Used before a noun or after a verb: a raspy voice, her voice sounded raspy.

    Patterns

    • a raspy voice
    • sound raspy

    After the concert her voice was raspy from singing.

    He spoke in a raspy whisper because of the cold.

    The old radio gave off a raspy crackle.

Word forms

comparativeraspier
superlativeraspiest

Common combinations

a raspy voice
The coach had a raspy voice from yelling all season.
raspy breathing
The doctor listened to his raspy breathing.
a raspy cough
A raspy cough kept her awake.
raspy whisper
He answered in a raspy whisper.
raspy laugh
Her raspy laugh filled the room.

Synonyms and how they differ

hoarse
Hoarse usually means the voice is rough because of strain or illness, while raspy focuses on the grating, scratchy sound itself.
husky
Husky is low and slightly rough and is often meant as attractive, whereas raspy is more scratchy.
gravelly
Gravelly describes a deep, rough voice that sounds like stones rubbing together, and is lower than raspy.
croaky
Croaky is informal and suggests a weak, frog-like voice, usually from a cold.

Opposites

smoothsilky

Word family

rasp noun
a harsh, scraping sound
rasp verb
to say or make a harsh, scraping sound
raspiness noun
the quality of sounding raspy
raspingly adverb
in a harsh, scraping way

Commonly confused: raspy or raspberry?

raspy vs raspberry

A raspberry is a fruit, and the word is not related to raspy despite the similar start.

Practice

After shouting at the match all afternoon, Tom's voice was ___.

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