Dictionary.com
definitions

abrasive

[uh-brey-siv, -ziv]
noun
  1. any material or substance used for grinding, polishing, etc., as emery, pumice, or sandpaper.
adjective
  1. tending to abrade; causing abrasion; abrading.
  2. 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. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for abrasively

abrasive

noun
  1. a substance or material such as sandpaper, pumice, or emery, used for cleaning, grinding, smoothing, or polishing
adjective
  1. causing abrasion; grating; rough
  2. 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

n.

"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.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
abrasively in Medicine

abrasive

[ə-brā′sĭv]
adj.
  1. Causing abrasion.
n.
  1. A material used to produce abrasion.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.