chafe
verb
\ ˈchāf
\
\
chafed;
chafing
Definition of chafe
(Entry 1 of 2)
2
: to warm by rubbing especially with the hands
3a
: to rub so as to wear away : abrade
the strap chafed his skin The boat chafed its sides against the dock.
b
: to make sore by or as if by rubbing
The tight collar chafed his neck.
1
: to feel irritation, discontent, or impatience : fret
chafes at the rules
2
: to rub and thereby cause wear or irritation
The baby's skin chafes if the strap is too tight.
chafe
nounDefinition of chafe (Entry 2 of 2)
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Synonyms for chafe
Synonyms: Verb
abrade, excoriate, fret, gall, irritate
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Examples of chafe in a Sentence
Verb
When the strap is too tight, it chafes the baby's skin. If my boots aren't laced up tight they chafe. The baby's skin will chafe if the strap is too tight.
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Puerto Ricans have long chafed at the island’s poor governance and commonwealth status. — Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, "The Frustration Behind Puerto Rico’s Popular Movement," 26 July 2019 The lone voice of reason belongs to new recruit Starlight (Erin Moriarity), an actual do-gooder who chafes at Vought's corporatized kayfabe. — Peter Rubin, WIRED, "Amazon's The Boys Tests the Limits of Superhero Fatigue," 26 July 2019 The Middle East country has chafed under American sanctions since Mr. Trump withdrew from an international deal to open Iran’s economy in exchange for limits on its nuclear program. — Vivian Salama, WSJ, "Trump Says Downing of U.S. Drone May Have Been Unintentional," 20 June 2019 The righteously perverse individual appreciates the value of rationality, morality, and the good life—and then, chafing against them, chooses another path. — Paul Bloom, The New Yorker, "The Strange Appeal of Perverse Actions," 19 July 2019 Yet Assange still chafed at being monitored by Ecuadorian security staff, leading him to start fistfights with guards and even smear his feces on walls in protest. — oregonlive.com, "Julian Assange secretly met with 2016 election hackers, wielded feces to protest surveillance of his activities: report," 18 July 2019 Once more, cannily efficient words—a tricky year—chafe against the carefully crafted, strategically vulnerable discussion that came before. — Megan Garber, The Atlantic, "Aziz Ansari and the Physics of Moving Forward," 11 July 2019 During his time in Congress, Sestak chafed many top Democrats for challenging longtime incumbents. — Andrew O'reilly | Fox News, Fox News, "Former Rep. Joe Sestak becomes 25th Democrat to enter White House race," 23 June 2019 In Benton Harbor, residents and city officials chafed under the state’s close watch, and rumors about a school shutdown began to surface. — Mitch Smith, New York Times, "Michigan Officials Say a Struggling School Should Close. Residents See Racism.," 15 June 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Life for the gallery residents is timeless and pleasant, for the most part, though some do chafe under Lord Beaverbrook’s strict rules. — Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, "Children’s Books: Meeting the People in the Paintings," 5 July 2018 Get ahead of the rub by wearing these $12 anti-chafe bands. — Mona Gohara, Good Housekeeping, "How to Prevent and Treat That Annoying Rash Between Your Thighs," 6 July 2018 Some veterans of the Trump White House say the president chafes under the sort of hierarchical structure that Mr. Kelly sought to create, preferring to consult with friends and associates on his own timetable. — Peter Nicholas, WSJ, "Trump Consults on Successors for Chief of Staff John Kelly," 28 June 2018 The smooth, chafe-free waistband sat tidily beneath the hipbelt of my pack. — Kelly Bastone, Outside Online, "The Best Shorts for Women," 31 May 2018 He's insisted on stiffer penalties and chafes when players deny knowingly taking PEDs in the face of positive tests. — Scott Boeck, USA TODAY, "Justin Verlander anticipated a PED denial from Robinson Cano - who did not disappoint," 15 May 2018 The former New York City mayor has only been on the job as a member of the President's legal team for 19 days and, already, the big guy is starting to chafe. — Chris Cillizza, CNN, "The 'Donald Trump is getting sick of Rudy Giuliani' storyline is the most predictable thing ever," 8 May 2018 Not only that, the overlap cuff means no tongue to pinch, slide, or chafe. — Wired Staff, WIRED, "All the Gear We Loved in March," 31 Mar. 2018 Get our daily newsletter Military top brass chafe at the suggestion that the JROTC is chiefly a recruitment scheme. — The Economist, "Should the army subsidise high-school soldiering?," 1 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chafe.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for chafe
chafe
verb
English Language Learners Definition of chafe
: to become irritated or annoyed : to feel impatient
: to cause soreness or damage by rubbing against something (such as your skin)
: to become sore or damaged from rubbing
See the full definition for chafe in the English Language Learners Dictionary
chafe
verb
\ ˈchāf
\
\
chafed;
chafing
Kids Definition of chafe
1
: to become irritated or impatient
Some of the guests chafed at the sleeping arrangements.
2
: to rub so as to wear away or make sore
Chains chafed the skin of the animal's legs.
chafe
transitive verb