against the grain

Idioms  

1. Opposed to one's inclination or preference, as in We followed the new supervisor's advice, though it went against the grain. This metaphor refers to the natural direction of the fibers in a piece of wood, called its grain; when sawed obliquely, or “against the grain,” the wood will tend to splinter. [c. 1600] For a synonym, see rub the wrong way.

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Example Sentences

Against the grain of much modern scholarship, Mr. Harpham maintains that it is “possible to describe the intellectual origins of American slavery almost without reference to skin color.”

From The Wall Street Journal

We should nurture them as an occasionally irresponsible group that can go against the grain of society and pronounce hard truths.

From Salon

"She's also not really going against the grain. She's saying the same thing as the men."

From BBC

“Against the grain of bland modern R&B, D’Angelo preserved the Gospel essence of early soul music, mixing it with every other genre of Black music without ever leaving the church,” Leeds said in an Oct.

From Salon

Sir Keir Starmer tells The Guardian this weekend: "History will not forgive us if we do not use every ounce of our energy to fight Reform. There is an enemy. There is a project which is detrimental to our country. It actually goes against the grain of our history. It's right there in plain sight in front of us. We have to win this battle."

From BBC

Related Words

• afraid
• averse
• compelled
• evasive
• forced
• loath
• reluctant
• resistant
• unenthusiastic