to grate

Examples

• All

• Those same singsong rhymes over and over... are enough to grate on my nerves.

  Female Trouble (1974)

• The sad state of hotel service grates on a road dog like Dick.

  Fiction book (2000)

• I know they tend to grate after a while.

• So, you know, you will always know that you grate on them, but you grate on them because they can't control you.

  WAFFLIN' Podcast

• The dirty table cloth's beginning to grate on me.

  Crispy's Curse (2017)

• Here is a real-world problem that tends to grate on every airplane traveler's nerves.

  Academic text (2007)

• Loretta stirred milk into her coffee cup with that little clink-clink sound that grated on Arlene's nerves.

  Fiction book (1999)

• The constant noise from the construction site began to grate on my patience as the days wore on.

• Her habit of interrupting others during conversations really started to grate on my nerves.

• The repetitive jingles in the advertisement began to grate on everyone who saw it continuously.

Synonyms

A

to annoy

vsto grate

144 1.0

Make someone slightly angry or bothered by small repeated actions

leads to gradual resentment over time rather than mainly mild annoyance

G

to get on someone's nerves

vsto grate

• Informal

60 4.9

To bother someone again and again until they feel angry

is similar but often implies a steady build toward resentment

I

to irritate

vsto grate

57 2.9

Make someone feel annoyed or impatient, often by repeated small actions

builds a slower, more resentful irritation rather than immediate annoyance

F

to frustrate

vsto grate

34 3.0

Make someone feel annoyed because they cannot do something

causes irritation through slow resentment rather than frustration at failure

R

to rile

vsto grate

22 6.9

Make someone annoyed, often by small things

creates longer term resentment or irritation rather than quick annoyance

G

to gnaw

vsto grate

21 4.9

Gradually make someone feel worried or less confident

is about causing irritation or resentment rather than general erosion

G

to gnaw at

vsto grate

15 6.1

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

focuses specifically on causing ongoing annoyance or resentment

A

to aggravate

vsto grate

15 4.2

Annoy someone and make them angrier

tends toward slow, nagging resentment rather than sharp exasperation

C

to chafe

vsto grate

14 6.8

To feel annoyed by rules or repeated problems

causes long-term resentful irritation rather than current rubbing discomfort

D

to displease

vsto grate

13 4.7

To make someone feel annoyed or unhappy

produces longer lasting resentment rather than simple dissatisfaction

R

to rankle

vsto grate

10 8.0

To continue to make someone feel angry or hurt

causes ongoing irritation that may be less deeply bitter

E

to eat into

vsto grate

9 6.8

To make someone feel more and more upset or angry inside

rouses irritation over time rather than actively eroding feelings

G

to gall

vsto grate

6 7.1

To annoy someone deeply

creates irritation over time but may be less intensely provoking

E

to embitter

vsto grate

2 6.8

To make someone feel hurt and angry for a long time

creates irritation or resentment over time but less deep bitterness

E

to exasperate

vsto grate

2 5.9

Make someone very annoyed by doing the same thing again and again

creates a slow, resentful irritation rather than sudden extreme anger

P

to pique

vsto grate

2 8.2

To offend someone and make them feel annoyed or hurt

works over time to irritate or make someone resentful rather than single insult

P

to peeve

vsto grate

1 6.8

To make someone feel annoyed

builds a stronger, more general resentment rather than a minor grievance

E

to envenom

vsto grate

1 9.9

To make a person or group feel bitter and angry

produces ongoing irritation that may not become deep bitterness

G

to get under one's skin

vsto grate

• Informal

1 7.2

To annoy someone again and again so they feel bothered

does similar ongoing irritation but with less personal penetration

A

to acerbate

vsto grate

1 9.9

To make someone feel more bitter and angry about something

causes irritation over time rather than specifically increasing bitterness

D

to disgruntle

vsto grate

1 8.0

To make someone feel unhappy or annoyed

creates simmering resentment over time rather than temporary bad mood

S

to stick in one's craw

vsto grate

• Informal

9.9

To feel angry or bitter about something unfair that you cannot forget

creates persistent irritation but not necessarily a hard refusal to accept

Antonyms

P

to please

372 1.0

To make someone happy or satisfied

How Irritating

to enrage

27 3.7

to grate

• Informal

9 6.7

to annoy

144 1.0

to bother

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

Etymology