Vocapedia
Log inTry for Free

Looking up...

Explore

  • Words of the Year
  • Recent Lookups
  • Community Collections
  • How to Say

Dictionaries

  • English
  • Vietnamese
  • Japanese
  • Chinese
  • Spanish
  • French
  • Korean
  • German
  • Hindi
  • Italian

MY LEARNING

  • My Dictionary
  • My Collections
  • Reviews

Resources

  • Learning Resources
  • How It Works
  • Study Guides
  • Language Tips
  • FAQ
  • Getting Started
  • For Individuals
  • For Teachers

Community

  • Forum
  • Blog
  • Help Center
  • Partnerships

About

  • About Vocapedia
  • Contact Us
  • Feedback

Legal

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Accessibility
  • GDPR Compliance
© 2026 Vocapedia. All rights reserved.
  1. Home /
  2. Dictionaries /
  3. English Dictionary /
  4. raspiness

raspiness

/ˈræspɪnəs/
hoarse quality

His voice had a raspiness that made it sound tired.

His voice sounded hoarse and rough.


neutral

A harsh, grating sound quality, especially in a voice or musical tone.

The raspiness of the saxophone added character to the jazz piece.

The saxophone's rough tone gave the jazz piece extra character.

She tried to soften the raspiness in her speech by speaking more slowly.

She attempted to reduce the hoarseness in her speech by speaking slower.

Formed from the adjective 'raspy' + suffix '-ness' indicating a state or quality.

Collocations

a raspiness in his voicethe hoarse quality present in his voicethe raspiness of the soundthe grating nature of the sound

Synonyms

raspgratingnesshoarseness

Antonyms

smoothnessmelodiousness

Related Phrases

raspy voicephrase
a voice that sounds hoarse or gravelly

Word Origin

Derived from the adjective 'raspy' (from 'rasp', meaning to scrape) + the noun-forming suffix '-ness', first recorded in the early 19th century.

Usage Notes

Commonly used to describe vocal or instrumental sounds that are rough, harsh, or gritty. It is less common for non‑auditory contexts.

English Dictionary
Browse more English→English words →

Learning Progress

Track your learning journey!

• Save words to build your vocabulary

• Monitor your daily streak

• Get personalized review reminders

• See words learned statistics

Log in to access advanced features and track your progress!

Go to Dashboard →

Words of the Year

The most notable words that defined each year. Discover the vocabulary that shaped our world.