raw
raw — noun
1. a small area of skin or flesh that is sore and exposed because the surface layer
a small area of skin or flesh that is sore and exposed because the surface layer has been scraped, worn, or rubbed off.
Vikram bandaged the raw on his heel where the new boot had rubbed for hours.
the raw + on + [body part] for a sore patch of exposed skin
The nurse gently dabbed antiseptic onto the raw above Sofia's elbow.
the raw + above/below + [body part]
After two days of rowing, Ezra had a raw on each palm that stung in cold water.
Kwame winced as the salty sea air touched the raw on his sunburnt shoulder.
文法句型
the raw on [body part]
用法筆記
Rarely used as a noun in modern English; the adjective use ('a raw patch', 'raw skin') is far more common. When the noun does appear, it almost always names a small, painful area of broken or scraped skin and takes the definite article 'the'.
常見錯誤
raw — adjective
- rawpositive
- rawercomparative
- rawestsuperlative
1. describing food, especially meat, fish, or vegetables, that has not been heated
describing food, especially meat, fish, or vegetables, that has not been heated on a stove or in an oven before being served.
Sofia loves Japanese sushi made with raw salmon and tuna.
raw + [food noun] (meat / fish)
The chef warned us never to feed raw chicken to the dog.
raw + [food noun] (meat)
Madison prefers her carrots raw rather than boiled in soup.
These eggs are still raw, so please cook them for ten minutes.
Many salad recipes use raw spinach, cucumber, and red onion.
文法句型
raw + [food noun]
be + raw
用法筆記
Almost always used of foods that COULD be cooked but haven't been. We don't normally call an apple 'raw' because apples are usually eaten without cooking; we say 'raw' when cooking is the expected default.
常見錯誤
2. describing a substance such as cotton, oil, sugar, or wood that comes straight f
describing a substance such as cotton, oil, sugar, or wood that comes straight from nature and has not yet been treated, refined, or made into a finished product.
The factory in Vietnam turns raw cotton into soft white T-shirts.
raw + [substance noun] (industrial input)
Saudi Arabia ships huge amounts of raw oil to refineries in Asia.
raw + [substance noun]
Ayana melted raw sugar in a pan to make caramel for the cake.
The carpenter chose raw oak for the table, with no paint or polish.
- unprocessed
more technical, common in business and trade contexts
- crude
specifically of oil and minerals before refining
- natural
broader; includes many things that are not industrial inputs
文法句型
raw + [substance noun]
用法筆記
Subject is usually an industrial input (cotton, wool, oil, timber, sugar, silk). The fixed phrase 'raw materials' is by far the most common form and refers to all the basic substances a factory needs.
3. describing numbers or information that have just been gathered and not yet been
describing numbers or information that have just been gathered and not yet been sorted, summarised, or examined to find patterns or meaning.
Nadia spent the weekend cleaning raw survey data on a spreadsheet.
raw + data (most common pairing)
The scientists posted the raw measurements online before writing the paper.
raw + [information noun]
Halvor, the government statistician, struggled to spot voting trends in the raw numbers from last week's election.
Talia downloaded the raw video footage and edited it into a short film.
- unprocessed
common in technical and academic writing
- unanalysed
more formal; emphasises that no study has been done yet
- summarised
of figures put into clear tables or charts
文法句型
raw + [data / information noun]
用法筆記
Most common with 'data', 'numbers', 'figures', 'footage', and 'results'. Distinguish from sense 2 (UNPROCESSED MATERIAL): sense 2 is about physical substances; sense 3 is about information.
4. describing someone who has only just started a job or activity and so still lack
describing someone who has only just started a job or activity and so still lacks the skills and confidence that come from real practice.
Yumi was a raw beginner the first time she stepped onto the tennis court.
raw beginner (fixed collocation)
The army is sending raw recruits to a six-week camp in the mountains.
raw recruits (fixed collocation)
Most of the kitchen staff are raw, so the head chef trains them every morning.
Élise joined the orchestra raw, but after a year she became its lead violinist.
- inexperienced
more neutral, works for any age and any context
- green
informal, very similar in meaning
- untrained
focuses on lack of formal teaching
- seasoned
implies many years of practice
文法句型
raw + [person noun]
raw recruit
用法筆記
Strongly favours the fixed collocations 'raw recruit' and 'raw beginner'. Often appears alongside a hint of promise — the person is unskilled now but expected to improve.
常見錯誤
5. describing a feeling such as anger, fear, or grief that is so strong and direct
describing a feeling such as anger, fear, or grief that is so strong and direct that the person showing it cannot easily hold it back or hide it.
Meera could hear the raw anger in her father's voice on the phone.
raw + [emotion noun] (anger)
Months after the funeral, Kofi's grief was still raw and he cried at small things like an old photograph.
predicative: be + raw (of grief)
The crowd cheered with raw excitement when the home team scored.
Iris stared at the message, her face full of raw fear.
文法句型
raw + [emotion noun]
用法筆記
Pairs strongly with negative or intense feelings: anger, grief, fear, pain, emotion, energy. Distinguish from sense 6 (HONEST WRITING): this sense applies to feelings inside a person, while sense 6 applies to a piece of writing or art.
6. describing a book, film, or other work that tells the truth about a difficult su
describing a book, film, or other work that tells the truth about a difficult subject in a direct way, without softening painful or ugly details for the reader or viewer.
Emre's memoir gives a raw account of his years in the refugee camp.
raw account / raw + [text noun]
Critics called the documentary raw and praised its honesty about poverty.
predicative: be + raw (of art)
Christopher writes raw poems about the loss of his mother and sister.
The play offers a raw portrait of life in a busy Taipei hospital.
- unflinching
literary; emphasises that the work refuses to look away
- candid
more general; about openness rather than artistic effect
- stark
stresses bare, unsoftened presentation
文法句型
raw + [text / film noun]
用法筆記
Subject is usually a creative work (memoir, novel, film, song, poem) or a portrayal within one. Often appears with positive review words like 'honest', 'powerful', 'unflinching' — the bluntness is treated as a quality, not a fault.
7. describes a patch of skin or flesh that has been rubbed, scraped, or damaged so
describes a patch of skin or flesh that has been rubbed, scraped, or damaged so that it feels sore and looks red — for example, a blistered heel after a long hike or chapped lips in winter.
After hiking in new boots all day, Sora's heels were red and raw.
predicative use describing damaged skin
The baby's skin was raw from wearing a wet diaper too long.
raw from + cause of irritation
Wren scrubbed her hands so often at the clinic that the knuckles felt raw and stung in the cold air.
Aaron's lips were chapped and raw after the ski trip.
- healed
after the skin recovers
用法筆記
Subject is almost always a body part (skin, hands, lips, throat, knees) or a wound area. Frequently appears in the pattern 'raw from + cause' (raw from rubbing, raw from cold).
常見錯誤
8. describes weather or air that is bitingly cold and often damp, the kind that cut
describes weather or air that is bitingly cold and often damp, the kind that cuts through your coat and makes your face and hands ache — typical of grey winter mornings rather than a crisp dry frost.
A raw February wind blew off the harbour and stung Asher's cheeks.
attributive: raw + wind / morning / day
It was a raw, grey morning in Glasgow, with rain hanging in the air.
raw paired with grey or wet for damp-cold scenes
Minh pulled his scarf tighter against the raw cold of the train platform.
The fishermen worked through raw weather all winter, hands numb inside their gloves.
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 of 'cold': 'raw' adds a sense of dampness, grey skies, and biting wind, not just a low temperature. A clear, sunny day at minus ten can be 'cold' but not 'raw'.
常見錯誤
9. used about treatment, a verdict, or a judgement that is harshly unfair — for exa
used about treatment, a verdict, or a judgement that is harshly unfair — for example, being sacked without warning after years of loyal service, or losing a final because of a bad referee call.
Ravindra felt he had been given a raw deal when the company sacked him without notice.
fixed phrase: a raw deal = unfair treatment
The visiting team got a raw deal from the referee's last call in front of forty thousand fans.
fixed phrase: get a raw deal = receive unfair treatment
Younger workers often get a raw deal when overtime hours are handed out.
Ife thought it was raw treatment to be passed over for promotion after leading the project for two years.
用法筆記
Strongly collocates with 'deal' — 'a raw deal' is the most common form by far. Outside that fixed phrase, 'raw' in this sense (raw treatment, a raw decision) sounds slightly old-fashioned or journalistic.
常見錯誤
10. with no clothes on at all — used as a casual, slightly humorous way of saying na
with no clothes on at all — used as a casual, slightly humorous way of saying naked, especially in fixed expressions like 'in the raw'.
Manuela likes to swim in the raw at her cabin, where no neighbours can see her.
fixed phrase: in the raw = naked
The painter prefers to sketch his models in the raw rather than in costume.
Layla walked in on her brother dancing in the raw to an old pop song.
After the sauna, the older men sat around chatting in the raw, completely at ease.
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'in the raw'. Predicative 'he was raw' to mean 'naked' is very rare and would confuse readers — use 'naked' or 'in the raw' instead.