What does "raspberry" mean?
The plant Rubus idaeus.
Raspberry
/ˈɹɑːzb(ə)ɹi/ adj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The plant Rubus idaeus.
- Grammar: raspberry is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: bronx cheer, berry, bird, boo.
- Useful contrasts: applause, approval, blue.
- Usage evidence: The loganberry, which is a hybrid of a blackberry and a raspberry, was accidentally created in the late nineteenth century by an American horticulturist.
How to use "raspberry"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "raspberry" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "raspberry" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "raspberry" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "raspberry" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "raspberry" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "bronx cheer" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "raspberry", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The plant Rubus idaeus.
- 2 A noise intended to imitate a fart, made by blowing air out of the mouth while the tongue is protruding from and pressed against the lips, or by blowing air through the lips while they are pressed firmly together or against skin (often a form of tickling) used humorously or to express derision. colloquial
"Of the announcement, Osborne said: "They have spent a hundred billion pounds of public money and they've got a massive raspberry from everyone as far as I can see. As a PR exercise, it's been an object lesson in how not to make a government announcement.""
- 3 a cry or noise made to express displeasure or contempt wordnet
- 4 Any of many other (but not all) species in the genus Rubus.
- 5 A physically disabled person. colloquial, derogatory
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 red or black edible aggregate berries usually smaller than the related blackberries wordnet
- 7 The juicy aggregate fruit of these plants.
- 8 woody brambles bearing usually red but sometimes black or yellow fruits that separate from the receptacle when ripe and are rounder and smaller than blackberries wordnet
- 9 A red colour, the colour of a ripe raspberry.
Verb
- 1 To gather or forage for raspberries.
"[…] she stuck burrs in my bed and lead me through the nettle-patch when we were raspberrying, because she knew I did n't know nettles; […]"
- 2 To make the noise intended to imitate the passing of flatulence. colloquial
Adjective
- 1 Containing or having the flavor/flavour of raspberries.
"It’s a gorgeous ice cream dream…a generous roll of vanilla shaped like a log…sprinkled with toasted pecan nuts…and filled with an egg-shaped center of the raspberriest raspberry ice cream ever!"
- 2 Of a dark pinkish red.
"She wore a raspberry beret / The kind you find in a second hand store"
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname. countable, uncountable
- 2 An unincorporated community in Pope County, Arkansas, United States. countable, uncountable
- 3 A community in West Kootenay, British Columbia, Canada. countable, uncountable
Example
"The loganberry, which is a hybrid of a blackberry and a raspberry, was accidentally created in the late nineteenth century by an American horticulturist."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "raspberry"?
Common synonyms include: bronx cheer, berry, bird, boo, catcall, crimson.
How do you use "raspberry" in a sentence?
The loganberry, which is a hybrid of a blackberry and a raspberry, was accidentally created in the late nineteenth century by an American horticulturist.
How do you pronounce "raspberry"?
Pronounced /ˈɹɑːzb(ə)ɹi/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From earlier raspis berry, possibly from raspise (a sweet rose-colored wine), from Anglo-Latin vinum raspeys, of uncertain origin. Possibly related to rasp (“coarse, rough”), of Germanic origin.
Etymology 2
Cockney rhyming slang, from raspberry tart = fart (though "raspberry" is rarely used for a fart, merely a noise which imitates it). Compare raspberry ripple = cripple.
Etymology 3
Variant of Rasberry.