to gnaw

Examples

• All

• Where the memory of your own greatness will gnaw you.

  Waterloo (1970)

• Doubt ever gnaws at him.

  The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

• And something started to gnaw at me.

• But there was also a gnawing fear of having been left out.

  Fiction book (1990)

• Those questions, that feeling, gnawing at the back of your mind, just out of sight.

  The Last Earth Girl (2020)

• But it's not that so much as the feeling of insignificance that gnaws at you.

  Academic text (1999)

• Johanna fights back a wave of panic as fear gnaws at her self-confidence.

  Academic text (2006)

• Doubt continuously gnaws at her confidence, making it hard for her to perform well.

• Worries about his future gnaw at him, preventing him from enjoying the present.

• Anxiety gnaws at me, especially when I think about the upcoming exam.

Synonyms

E

to erode

vsto gnaw

83 4.2

Gradually make someone's trust, belief, or support weaker over time

uses a vivid image implying persistent inner wearing rather than neutral change

E

to eat away at

vsto gnaw

• Informal

25 4.4

To damage something slowly over time, for example a building or a person's confidence

is the general abstract process and not limited to figurative use

E

to eat away

vsto gnaw

17 4.1

Slowly damages metal, rock and someone's confidence by chemicals or steady pressure

happens within abstract feelings or conditions rather than physical processes

E

to eat at

vsto gnaw

• Informal

14 7.1

Gradually make someone feel worse or less confident

covers general abstract wearing beyond just feelings or personal resolve

E

eating away

vsto gnaw

7 4.9

Slow wearing away of something by natural forces or repeated harm

is the verb form that describes the same action as a process

G

to gnaw at

vsto gnaw

7 6.1

To make someone feel worried or less confident for a long time

applies more broadly to abstract conditions rather than only personal feelings

W

to wear away

vsto gnaw

2 3.8

To slowly remove material by rubbing or long use

applies to inner states and feelings rather than physical damage by friction

E

to eat into

vsto gnaw

2 6.8

To make someone feel more and more upset or angry inside

means gradual wearing of abstract things without focusing on anger or resentment

N

to naw

vsto gnaw

• UK

9.9

To bite or chew something many times until it wears away

is used for abstract gradual wearing of feelings rather than literal biting

Antonyms

I

to improve

∞ 1.0

To make something better

S

to strengthen

327 3.0

To make muscles, relationships, or groups stronger

Phrasal Verbs

G

to gnaw at

7 6.1

To make someone feel worried or less confident for a long time

How Damaging

to undermine

270 6.8

to eat away at

• Informal

25 4.4

to gnaw

18 4.9

to worry

∞ 1.0

to bother

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

Etymology