chafe
Americanverb (used with object)
-
chafes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
chafed,
past participle, past
-
chafing
present participle
-
to wear or abrade by rubbing.
He chafed his shoes on the rocks.
-
to make sore by rubbing.
Her collar chafed her neck.
-
to irritate; annoy.
The dripping of the faucet chafed her nerves.
- Synonyms:
- provoke, trouble, vex, exasperate
-
to warm by rubbing.
to chafe cold hands.
-
Obsolete. to heat; make warm.
verb (used without object)
-
chafes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
chafed,
past participle, past
-
chafing
present participle
-
to become worn or sore from rubbing.
His neck began to chafe from the starched collar.
-
to rub; press with friction.
The horse chafed against his stall.
-
to be irritated or annoyed.
He chafed at their constant interruptions.
noun
-
irritation; annoyance.
-
heat, wear, or soreness caused by rubbing.
idioms
verb
-
to make or become sore or worn by rubbing
-
(tr) to warm (the hands, etc) by rubbing
-
to irritate or be irritated or impatient
he was chafed because he was not allowed out
-
(intr; often foll by on, against, etc) to cause friction; rub
-
See champ 1
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
chafesimple
-
chafessimple
-
have chafedperfect
-
has chafedperfect
-
am chafingprogressive
-
are chafingprogressive
-
is chafingprogressive
-
have been chafingperfect progressive
-
has been chafingperfect progressive
Past
-
chafedsimple
-
had chafedperfect
-
was chafingprogressive
-
were chafingprogressive
-
had been chafingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of chafe
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English chaufen “to heat, rub,” from Middle French chaufer, from Vulgar Latin calfāre (unrecorded), variant of Latin cal(e)facere, from cale-, stem of calēre “to be hot” + facere “to do, make”
Explanation
To chafe is to irritate or annoy. If your shoes chafe you, they rub your skin raw. Ouch. If you chafe at the suggestion that you should be studying more, the suggestion rubs you the wrong way. Chafe originally meant to warm, like a chafing dish on a hotel buffet. Though this may seem like a big jump, think of when your hands are cold and you rub them together to warm them up. So you can say that rubbed skin is kind of hot as is a temper flaring up from irritation. If you are a hot head, you are easily chafed.
Vocabulary lists containing chafe
Touching Spirit Bear
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Odyssey
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Ender's Game
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
You respect the rules even if you chafe at some of them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Investors, though, have found various reasons to chafe at Microsoft’s story.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 30, 2026
They might chafe at the regulatory sovereignty of American regulators, especially as other jurisdictions are attempting to establish themselves as crypto centers.
From Barron's ● Nov. 19, 2025
But others chafe at the bit to let loose the dogs of their wild-eyed fantasies.
From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2025
Did he chafe at the amount of time, space, and effort she devoted to her study?
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
This chafes against the restraint demanded by his current role, which has historically been carried out in humbler fashion.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
Saudi Arabia still chafes at the limits to its influence with the White House.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025
Pimples or a rash in the area of the breasts or on the upper back, caused by a bra that chafes, is not clean or is made of material that is allergenic or not breathable.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 20, 2024
Kirsten chafes, but only very little, at becoming a full-time mother instead of a working one.
From New York Times ● Jan. 22, 2024
He chafes at the idea of going back to the Netherlands.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
Lieber chafed at the intrusion and Chakrabarti’s plan to shift Penn’s grand entrance from bustling Seventh Avenue to the comparably barren Eighth Avenue.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
The U.A.E., one of the world’s largest oil producers, had long chafed at Saudi-backed production constraints.
From MarketWatch ● May 3, 2026
“There were so many guardrails and it was so restrictive,” she says, adding that she chafed at the hours, the dress and behavioral codes, and the lack of creativity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026
Most telling of all: Those chafed by “Promising Young Woman” haven’t given Fennell the impartial second chance that her male industry colleagues receive time and time again.
From Salon ● Feb. 23, 2026
White, too, sometimes chafed at Hoover’s rules and whims.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
Summer can be tough if you struggle with sweating or chafing.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
Big companies and startups, chafing at rapidly escalating artificial intelligence costs, are increasingly turning to tools that tap in to cheaper AI models, including some from China.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
With each stride, I squirmed deeper into the Florsheims’ tapered toes in a vain effort to spare my chafing heels.
From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2026
Analysts predict that consumers, already chafing at rising subscription fees for streaming services, will be spending even more if the deal goes through.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 5, 2025
He could not feel his legs, hanging useless in the stirrups, but the strap around his chest was tight and chafing, and the melting snow had soaked through his gloves to chill his hands.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
