chafe 1 of 2

verb

ˈchāf How to pronounce chafe (audio)
Definition of chafenext
1
as in to irritate
to make sore by continued rubbing ill-fitting boots that had badly chafed my heels

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2
as in to wear
to damage or diminish by continued friction constant stepping on a rope will gradually chafe it, rendering it unsafe for rock climbing

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3
as in to annoy
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts nothing chafes us so much as those telemarketers who call during the dinner hour

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

chafe

2 of 2

noun

1
as in indignation

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in abrasion

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of chafe
Verb
Trump has been publicly supportive of Musk, and his advisers chafe at the suggestion that the tech titan is anything resembling a co-president. — Julia Shapero, The Hill, 5 Feb. 2025 Howlin’ Wolf, one of Chess’ major talents, chafed at the change. — Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2025
Noun
Floyd instantly chafes at the hierarchies imposed in Jay’s household, and when the island is cut off from ferries and grocery stores are closed, the mansion becomes dependent on its cook to provide. — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2024 But for much of the show, Abigail serves as the primary narrator, and her delivery chafes. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 3 May 2024 See All Example Sentences for chafe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chafe
  1. irritate
  2. wear
  3. annoy
  4. indignation
  5. abrasion
  6. scratch
  7. erode
  8. bother
Verb
  • First, coffee is significantly more acidic than matcha, which can irritate some people's stomachs or cause heartburn.
    — Sohaib Imtiaz, Verywell Health, 26 Mar. 2025
  • She’s disillusioned with her boyfriend and irritated by her mother.
    — Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 25 Mar. 2025
Definition of irritate
Verb
  • Others wear sweatshorts and the pirate-like Raiders jerseys of our city’s former football team.
    — George B. Sánchez-Tello, Rolling Stone, 23 Mar. 2025
  • In the selfie, Lizzo wore a gray graphic T-shirt and a pair of black underwear.
    — Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 23 Mar. 2025
Definition of wear
Verb
  • Waltz now has a bunch of top officials, and their teams, who are annoyed at him for drawing bad publicity.
    — Marc Caputo, Axios, 25 Mar. 2025
  • However, standing in the middle of a road to capture the Eiffel Tower in the background is not only unsafe but can also annoy locals.
    — Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
Definition of annoy
Noun
  • With love and loss, inspiration and indignation, For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) is a folk tale, a small-town barroom yarn, a gothic novel, and a ghost story.
    — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Advertisement To put it mildly, the indignation is real but a remedy is missing. Lawmakers face a deadline at the end of the week to adopt a spending program or trigger a government shutdown.
    — Philip Elliott, TIME, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of indignation
Noun
  • One of the girls felt something slide across her neck, resulting in an abrasion on her neck, Memon told CNN.
    — Yash Roy, CNN, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Within minutes medics had pronounced the boy dead at the scene and noticed abrasions and darkening on his face.
    — Noe Padilla, USA TODAY, 31 Dec. 2024
Definition of abrasion
Verb
  • Not to be scratched by the digital revolution, vinyl posted its 18th straight year of growth, scored nearly three-quarters of physical format revenue at $1.4B – its highest since 1984.
    — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Not only may it not be well received, but you could be left scratching your head as to what is the next move.
    — Kyle Thomas, People.com, 16 Mar. 2025
Definition of scratch
Verb
  • Conversely, poor communication quickly erodes credibility, limiting potential growth.
    — Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Over time, excessive tilling leads to eroded and diminished topsoil, polluted waterways and ultimately less-vigorous crops and harvests.
    — Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 21 Mar. 2025
Definition of erode
Verb
  • Because Congress never bothered to write a law to establish it.
    — Jay Cost, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Chicago Bears - Will Campbell, OL, LSU Will Campbell has fallen a bit due to his shorter arm length, but that likely won't bother Ben Johnson.
    — Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of bother

Browse Nearby Words

cestus
chafe
chafed
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Cite this Entry

“Chafe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chafe. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

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