gnaw

[ naw ]

verb (used with object)

, gnawed, gnawed or gnawn, gnaw·ing.

1. to bite or chew on, especially persistently.
2. to wear away or remove by persistent biting or nibbling.
3. to form or make by so doing:

   to gnaw a hole through the wall.

4. to waste or wear away; corrode; erode.
5. to trouble or torment by constant annoyance, worry, etc.; vex; plague.

verb (used without object)

, gnawed, gnawed or gnawn, gnaw·ing.

1. to bite or chew persistently:

   The spaniel gnawed happily on a bone.

2. to cause corrosion:

   The acid gnaws at the metal.

3. to cause an effect resembling corrosion:

   Her mistake gnawed at her conscience.

gnaw

/ nɔː /

verb

1. whenintr, often foll by at or upon to bite (at) or chew (upon) constantly so as to wear away little by little
2. tr to form by gnawing

   to gnaw a hole

3. to cause erosion of (something)
4. whenintr, often foll by at to cause constant distress or anxiety (to)

noun

1. the act or an instance of gnawing

Derived Forms

• ˈgnawingly, adverb
• ˈgnawing, adjectivenoun
• ˈgnawable, adjective
• ˈgnawer, noun

Other Words From

• gnawa·ble adjective
• gnawer noun
• outgnaw verb (used with object) outgnawed outgnawed or outgnawn outgnawing
• under·gnaw verb (used with object)
• un·gnawed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gnaw¹

before 1000; Middle English gnawen, Old English gnagen; cognate with German nagen, Old Norse gnāga

Word History and Origins

Origin of gnaw¹

Old English gnagan; related to Old Norse gnaga, Old High German gnagan

Example Sentences

For many dogs, gnawing on things seems to help distract them.

From Popular-Science

These are the kinds of questions that have gnawed at me throughout my 25 years in the tech industry.

From TechCrunch

What he’d “lost” by not hanging on as South Sea shares approached £1,000 gnawed at him.

From Time

The rodents gnaw down trees to create lodges and dams, and dig channels for transporting their logs to the dams.

From Science News

I think we’ve been greatly underplaying the chronic, gnawing anxiety we’ve had to keep at bay to function.

From Washington Post

In the end, the ethical implications of using a drug to pull statements from otherwise unwilling people began to gnaw.

From The Daily Beast

Stanley Crouch on why there are so many predators “looking for some high-profile black female meat to give the gnaw.”

From The Daily Beast

For three generations it's been a sort of a gnaw-bone, to be dug up and chewed on when there's nothing else.

From Project Gutenberg

Then she lay down again, chuckling softly as she did when the mouse escaped, even though it was to gnaw her cheese.

From Project Gutenberg

I began to gnaw it and play with it, and when Ned called out, "fetch it," I dropped it and ran toward him.

From Project Gutenberg

I know I am only the mouse, but I could gnaw through very strong cords.

From Project Gutenberg

The animals stand in a group, and the mules gnaw at the frozen dung of former visitors.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• annoy
• bedevil
• haunt
• irritate
• nag