abrasive
any material or substance used for grinding, polishing, etc., as emery, pumice, or sandpaper.
Origin of abrasive
1Other words for abrasive
Other words from abrasive
- a·bra·sive·ly, adverb
- a·bra·sive·ness, noun
- un·a·bra·sive, adjective
- un·a·bra·sive·ly, adverb
Words Nearby abrasive
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use abrasive in a sentence
Now 30, he’s the author of five comedy specials which lean on a cutthroat, abrasive humor that makes his audience cringe as well as smirk.
Plus, they’re more effective and less abrasive than toilet paper.
We went at it with the most abrasive cleaning products we had on hand, shaking and queasy, scrubbing until it had vanished.
Then, when it could not be easily wiped off, my industrious husband took the abrasive side of a sponge to it, leaving scratches that looked like a bear had dragged its claws across the surface.
Solutions for the stains and scratches pandemic life has left on our furniture and rugs | Jura Koncius | March 25, 2021 | Washington PostIf your floor steam cleaner has a scrubbing option, skip that—you don’t want to risk scratching the laminate surface with anything abrasive.
Best steam mop: For gleaming, sanitized floors | PopSci Commerce Team | March 18, 2021 | Popular-Science
In her newest EP Love Your Boyfriend, she takes the messaging of love songs and places it in an abrasive, sonic package.
The sound of the record, meanwhile, is ideal: not too smooth, not too abrasive.
The Band’s ‘Rock of Ages’ Is the Greatest Live Album Ever | Andrew Romano | October 14, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTHe stayed away from the gym for a while and came back transformed, abrasive and rude when he had once been polite and respectful.
Boston Suspects Tamerlan & Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, From Boxing to Bombs | Michael Daly | April 20, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTThere is a sense that House of Cards reflects the infighting and abrasive atmosphere of the political sphere at the time.
Rewind: BBC’s Iconic Political Thriller ‘House of Cards’ Still Captivates | Jace Lacob | January 17, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTIn contrast to the abrasive and high-handed Zakir, Ibrahim is an admired figure among the insurgents.
Oil or other fluids used on work are apt to drop on it and when wet for a short time the abrasive is useless.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2 | VariousOld Gilby, the pro, could be abrasive when a bone-head play disfigured the game he loved.
The Syndic | C.M. KornbluthAfter abrasive years on a dozen planets and habitable moons, the ugly savageries of Venus had only a quaint charm.
Shock Treatment | Stanley MullenNo amount of the hardest known abrasive will even roughen its surface.
The Skylark of Space | Edward Elmer Smith and Lee Hawkins GarbySaleratus Bill had carefully removed every abrasive possibility in the two rooms.
The Rules of the Game | Stewart Edward White
British Dictionary definitions for abrasive
/ (əˈbreɪsɪv) /
a substance or material such as sandpaper, pumice, or emery, used for cleaning, grinding, smoothing, or polishing
causing abrasion; grating; rough
irritating in manner or personality; causing tension or annoyance
Derived forms of abrasive
- abrasiveness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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