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abrasive [ uh -brey -siv, -ziv ] SHOW IPA
/ əˈbreɪ sɪv, -zɪv / PHONETIC RESPELLING
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noun
any material or substance used for grinding, polishing, etc., as emery, pumice, or sandpaper.
adjective
tending to annoy or cause ill will; overly aggressive: an abrasive personality.
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Origin of abrasive 1870–75; <Latin
abrās (
us ) (see
abrasion ) +
-ive
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 Abram ,
abranchiate ,
abraser ,
abrash ,
abrasion ,
abrasive ,
abraxas ,
abrazo ,
abreact ,
abreaction ,
abreast
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Words related to abrasive annoying ,
biting ,
caustic ,
harsh ,
irritating ,
abrading ,
coarse ,
polish ,
cutting ,
nasty ,
rough ,
sharp ,
grinding ,
gritty ,
scratching ,
cleanser ,
galling ,
hateful ,
hurtful ,
spiky
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.
If your floor steam cleaner has a scrubbing option, skip that—you don’t want to risk scratching the laminate surface with anything abrasive .
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 .
He stayed away from the gym for a while and came back transformed, abrasive and rude when he had once been polite and respectful.
There is a sense that House of Cards reflects the infighting and abrasive atmosphere of the political sphere at the time.
In 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.
Old Gilby, the pro, could be abrasive when a bone-head play disfigured the game he loved.
After abrasive years on a dozen planets and habitable moons, the ugly savageries of Venus had only a quaint charm.
No amount of the hardest known abrasive will even roughen its surface.
Saleratus Bill had carefully removed every abrasive possibility in the two rooms.
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British Dictionary definitions for abrasive
noun
a substance or material such as sandpaper, pumice, or emery, used for cleaning, grinding, smoothing, or polishing
adjective
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
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