gnash

[ nash ]

/ næʃ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR gnash ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to grind or strike (the teeth) together, especially in rage or pain.

to bite with grinding teeth.

verb (used without object)

to gnash the teeth.

noun

an act of gnashing.

RELATED WORDS

grate, crush, clamp, rub, grit

Nearby words

gnamma hole, gnar, gnarl, gnarled, gnarly, gnash, gnash one's teeth, gnashers, gnat, gnatcatcher, gnateater

Origin of gnash

1490–1500; variant of obsolete gnast, Middle English gnasten; compare Old Norse gnastan gnashing of teeth

Related forms

gnash·ing·ly, adverb

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

Examples from the Web for gnash

They gnash their teeth at themselves as they catch themselves rejoicing in iniquity.
Bunyan Characters|Alexander Whyte
Ah, if this be the language of spirits, my dream has vanished; I am deceived, and must gnash my teeth in darkness.
Faustus|Friedrich Maximilian von Klinger
He would hunt for me, and gnash his teeth at the escape of his prey.
The Betrayal of John Fordham|B.L. (Benjamin Leopold) Farjeon
All at once he put his hand on his sword, and gnash his teeth.
The Seats Of The Mighty, Complete|Gilbert Parker

Then he would urge on his old horse, and gnash his teeth; and then, again, he would be ashamed.
Mr. Scarborough's Family|Anthony Trollope

British Dictionary definitions for gnash

gnash

/ (næʃ) /

verb

to grind (the teeth) together, as in pain or anger

(tr) to bite or chew as by grinding the teeth

noun

the act of gnashing the teeth

Derived Forms

gnashingly, adverb

Word Origin for gnash

C15: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse gnastan gnashing of teeth, gnesta to clatter

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