grate

¹ American  

[greyt] / greɪt /

noun

grates plural

1. a frame of metal bars for holding fuel when burning, as in a fireplace, furnace, or stove.

2. a framework of parallel or crossed bars, used as a partition, guard, cover, or the like; grating.

3. a fireplace.

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verb (used with object)

grated, grating

1. to furnish with a grate or grates.

grate ² American  

[greyt] / greɪt /

verb (used without object)

grated, grating

1. to have an irritating or unpleasant effect.

   His constant chatter grates on my nerves.

2. to make a sound of, or as if of, rough scraping; rasp.

3. to sound harshly; jar.

   to grate on the ear.

4. to scrape or rub with rough or noisy friction, as one thing on or against another.

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verb (used with object)

grated, grating

1. to reduce to small particles by rubbing against a rough surface or a surface with many sharp-edged openings.

   to grate a carrot.

2. to rub together with a harsh, jarring sound.

   to grate one's teeth.

3. to irritate or annoy.

   Synonyms:

   bug, rile, irk, nettle, gall, vex

4. Archaic. to wear down or away by rough friction.

grate ¹ British  

/ ɡreɪt /

noun

1. a framework of metal bars for holding fuel in a fireplace, stove, or furnace

2. a less common word for fireplace

3. another name for grating 1

4. mining a perforated metal screen for grading crushed ore

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verb

1. (tr) to provide with a grate or grates

grate ² British  

/ ɡreɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to reduce to small shreds by rubbing against a rough or sharp perforated surface

   to grate carrots

2. to scrape (an object) against something or (objects) together, producing a harsh rasping sound, or (of objects) to scrape with such a sound

3. (intr; foll by on or upon) to annoy

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noun

1. a harsh rasping sound

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• grateless
  adjective
• gratelike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• grates
  plural

Etymology

Origin of grate¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Medieval Latin grāta “a grating, lattice,” variant of crāta, derivative of Latin crāt- (stem of crātis ) “wickerwork, hurdle”; cf. crate

Origin of grate²

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English graten “to reduce to powder, crumble, grate,” from Old French grater, from Germanic; compare German kratzen “to scratch,” Swedish kratta “to rake”

Explanation

When you grate something you rip it to shreds, like a pound of solid cheese that you shred for a recipe. The verb grate entered the English language in the fourteenth century by way of the French word grater, meaning “to scrape.” Using grate in this sense, you might grate your teeth or grate a carrot, meaning rub or pulverize. By the sixteenth century the word had taken on the additional meaning of “sound harshly” and “annoy.” This evolution makes sense if you think about it: If you’ve ever had anything really annoy you — "grate on your nerves" — it can almost seem as if a cheese grater has been applied to your nerves and is slowly ripping them to shreds.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

grate grates grated grating

The next day, the grate and the cinder blocks were still there.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026

"I had this feeling like a heavy metal grate pressing down on my face.. I was telling myself to get up, but I couldn't get up."

From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026

"If you just need to grate some cheese over pasta, there are alternatives," she said.

From Barron's ● Mar. 26, 2026

If the squash is destined for a toast, dip or sandwich, I like to grate it or pulse it in the food processor into coarse shreds — just shy of a purée.

From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2025

Forks, kettles, horseshoes, even the grate off an old potbelly stove.

From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool

Though all of the back-and-forth between Celeste and Johannes grates the viewer as it circles the drain, Charli, Zamiri and Brandes are aiming and firing at a very real and expanding phenomenon.

From Salon ● Feb. 8, 2026

The key, he cautions, is to cook the chicken until it releases from the grates with little resistance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2025

Her in-laws have installed metal sheet grates over theirs, marking a “huge cost” for mitigation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2025

Yes, it has become a commercial beast and the rampant hyping of the brand grates, but the essence of what makes the Lions special is strong and apparently unbreakable.

From BBC ● May 7, 2025

Eric looks from me to Tobias and laughs, too loudly and for too long—the sound is menacing and grates against me like sandpaper.

From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth

As fatigue -- and anger at army scandals -- grew, that approach grated.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

Finish with finely grated lemon zest and a confetti of chopped chives.

From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026

In 2023, an American business marketing grated cheese was caught by the Consorzio’s enforcers using the word Parmesan at a German food fair.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 6, 2026

Bake this beautiful concoction and sprinkle flaky salt and grated lemon zest on top before serving with pasta or over slices of fresh sourdough.

From Salon ● Apr. 6, 2026

Dadi smiled at me as she grated carrots with lightning speed.

From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon

The system accurately steered the beam across a broad field of view without producing any grating lobes.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026

The performance, perhaps intending to inject a note of potential menace, plays up Ru’s anger at the expense of his hurt — and comes off as grating and utterly unsympathetic.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

Working, after all, is how a majority of people must spend most of their waking hours, and toiling away in an industry or at a position you find grating will undoubtedly make you miserable.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026

As the interview progressed, Vance’s vaunted media savvy quickly morphed into something far more grating: a combination of condescension and profound insincerity.

From Salon ● Jun. 17, 2026

She clung to the bars of the grating as firmly as she could.

From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke

Related Words

• mince
• rub