What does ricey mean?
Ricey is an uncommon adjective meaning that something contains rice, consists largely of rice, or resembles rice in appearance or texture. Its use is especially associated with food: a soup, stew, pudding, or mixture may be called ricey when rice gives it a substantial or slightly granular character. The adjective can also describe the texture of another food, as when a dish has a ricey consistency. Although understandable in both British and American English, ricey is more characteristic of informal culinary description than of formal prose. It should not be confused with racy, which describes language, behaviour, or material that is suggestive, provocative, or exciting. Speakers will often reach for more conventional alternatives such as rice-filled, full of rice, or rice-like, but ricey offers a compact and distinctly descriptive option.
adjectiveContaining or consisting largely of rice; having a texture or appearance resembling rice.
- Containing or consisting largely of rice.
- Having the granular appearance or texture of rice grains.
"The sauce was rich and pleasantly ricey."
"She served a thick, ricey soup with fresh herbs."
"The cooled pudding had a pleasantly ricey texture."
Ricey is one of those concise English adjectives formed by turning a noun into a quality with the suffix -y.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does ricey come from?
Ricey was formed in English by adding the suffix -y to rice, a word that entered English through Old French from Italian riso and ultimately Latin oryza, a term associated with the Greek oryza. The English suffix -y commonly forms adjectives indicating a quality, character, or resemblance, as in cloudy or hilly. In ricey, it conveys the presence or texture of rice.
Related word forms
How ricey is actually used
Ricey is uncommon in formal writing and is most often used predicatively. It can describe food containing rice or a dish or substance with a rice-like texture.
Easily confused with ricey
Ricey means containing rice or resembling rice in texture, whereas racy means suggestive or lively in a slightly improper or exciting way.