abrasive

[uh-brey-siv, -ziv]

noun

any material or substance used for grinding, polishing, etc., as emery, pumice, or sandpaper.

adjective

tending to abrade; causing abrasion; abrading.

tending to annoy or cause ill will; overly aggressive: an abrasive personality.

Origin of abrasive

1870–75; < Latin abrās(us) (see abrasion) + -ive

Related formsa·bra·sive·ly, adverba·bra·sive·ness, nounun·a·bra·sive, adjectiveun·a·bra·sive·ly, adverb

Synonyms for abrasive

2. harsh, rough, rasping.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for abrasively

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 Formsabrasiveness, 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

Word Origin and History for abrasively

abrasive

"an abrasive substance," 1853, from abrasive (adj.).

abrasive

adj.

1805, from Latin abras-, past participle stem of abradere (see abrasion) + -ive. Figurative sense of "tending to provoke anger" is first recorded 1925. Related: Abrasively; abrasiveness.

abrasively in Medicine

abrasive

[ə-brā′sĭv]

adj.

Causing abrasion.

n.

A material used to produce abrasion.