raspy

adjective

ˈra-spē How to pronounce raspy (audio)
raspier; raspiest
Synonyms of raspynext
1
: harsh, grating
2
: irritable

Synonyms of raspy

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of raspy in a Sentence

Her voice was raspy from yelling so much. overwork tends to make him raspy
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In the June 27 debate, put on by CNN, the then-president delivered a halting performance with a raspy voice, struggling with multiple stumbles and lost trains of thought. — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 15 Aug. 2026 Sauer, a Harvard Law graduate who clerked for Scalia—and proved his worth to Trump by successfully arguing the Presidential-immunity case—speaks fast, in a distinctively raspy voice. — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 In 1976, the already raspy-toned singer underwent surgery to get nodules removed from her vocal cords. — Isabella Gomez Sarmiento, NPR, 9 July 2026 Edward Juvier is raspy and rumpled as the imperious theater producer Bela Zangler. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for raspy

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of raspy was in 1838

Browse Nearby Words

Rasputin
raspy
rasse
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Raspy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/raspy. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

raspy

adjective
ˈras-pē How to pronounce raspy (audio)
raspier; raspiest
: making a harsh grating sound
a raspy voice
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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of august

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All