raspiness

Rough vocal quality

Raspiness is a rough, harsh quality in sound, especially in a voice.

A cold or years of smoking can give someone's voice raspiness.

The term applies to any grating texture in audio: the raspiness of an old recording, a singer known for the raspiness of her delivery.

vocal

hoarseness

Rough, scratchy voice quality

huskinessRough vocal quality
croakinessRough, froggy voice quality
gravellyContaining small stones

throaty · smoky · breathy · growly · guttural · wheezy · strained · laryngitis · pharyngitis · vocal fry

texture

sandpaper

Abrasive-coated finishing material

abrasiveRough enough to erode
coarseRough in texture
grittyCoarse or courageous

rough · grainy · gravelly · scratchy · uneven · textured · pebbly · granular · bumpy · jagged

sound

grating

Crossed bars or harsh

harshUnpleasantly severe or rough
stridentHarsh and piercing
discordantLacking musical agreement

cacophonous · raucous · dissonant · jarring · rough · brassy · piercing · unmelodious · abrasive · shrill

throat

soreness

Tender, painful sensation

inflammationProtective tissue response
irritationMild anger or inflammation
discomfortMild physical or mental distress

burning · tenderness · rawness · scratchiness · dryness · tickle · swelling · stinging · pain · coughing

Categories

Voice Disordersdysphonia, aphonia, hoarseness, voice loss, spasmodic dysphonia
speechspeech, speaking, talk, diction, conversation
cacophonycacophony, discord, dissonance, din, noise

Opposites

vocal/sound texture

raspinesssmoothness

Freedom from irregularity

silkiness · clarity · mellowness · velvetiness · clearness

surface/tactile texture

raspinesssmoothness

Freedom from irregularity

silkiness · sleekness · softness · glossiness · slipperiness

Family

rasp, raspy, rasping, rasped, raspiest

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated G