noun
adjective
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causing abrasion; grating; rough
-
irritating in manner or personality; causing tension or annoyance
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of abrasive
Explanation
What does an obnoxious person have in common with sandpaper? Both are abrasive. Anything that grates or irritates — physically or metaphorically — can be described using this adjective. The history of the word abrasive illustrates how a word typically enters the English language and then changes with time. The English verb abrade, "to wear down by scraping," entered the language from Latin abradere, "to scrape off," in the late 1600s. Some 200 years later, the adjective form of the word — abrasive — came into use to describe a type of grinding tool. By the 1920s, abrasive had acquired the more figurative sense of annoying and infuriating. If you find someone abrasive, he or she grinds away at your nerves.
Vocabulary lists containing abrasive
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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Hamilton
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Fans of the novel have been quick to complain the new version of Carrie is not "book accurate", pointing out that she was originally an abrasive, even unlikeable character.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Mr. James does not simply reproduce the island’s singular patois; he uses it to create abrasive auditory rhythms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
NWR’s high concepts and their abrasive execution don’t always coalesce.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026
Moonprint Solutions, a small business, is developing flexible protective covers that shield equipment from the Moon's highly abrasive dust.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026
Even the sound of the water sloshing against the bath’s tiled sides became inexplicably abrasive.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Safety and industrial sales increased 4.1%, as strong demand in electrical markets, adhesives and abrasives offset continued challenges in the vehicle aftermarket business.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2025
They also advise against using thinners, nylon or metal scrubbers, or abrasives - all of which could damage the surface of the toilet seat.
From BBC ● Dec. 30, 2024
He also said a robot would be able to use "tougher, more aggressive abrasives" than a human could tolerate.
From Science Daily ● May 2, 2024
The modern sandpaper you see at hardware and paint stores is made from a combination of natural and man-made abrasives.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 28, 2023
Machinery Sales Company machine tools, abrasives, shop supplies, cutting tools.
From U.S. Copyright Renewals, 1974 January - June by Library of Congress. Copyright Office
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