grating

¹ American  

[grey-ting] / ˈgreɪ tɪŋ /

noun

1. a fixed frame of bars or the like covering an opening to exclude persons, animals, coarse material, or objects while admitting light, air, or fine material.

2. Physics. diffraction grating.

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grating ² American  

[grey-ting] / ˈgreɪ tɪŋ /

adjective

1. irritating or unpleasant to one's feelings.

2. (of a sound or noise) harsh, discordant, or rasping.

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grating ¹ British  

/ ˈɡreɪtɪŋ /

adjective

1. (of sounds) harsh and rasping

2. annoying; irritating

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noun

1. (often plural) something produced by grating

grating ² British  

/ ˈɡreɪtɪŋ /

noun

1. Also called: grate.  a framework of metal bars in the form of a grille set into a wall, pavement, etc, serving as a cover or guard but admitting air and sometimes light

2. short for diffraction grating

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• gratingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of grating¹

First recorded in 1605–15; grat(e) ¹ + -ing ¹

Origin of grating²

First recorded in 1555–65; grat(e) ² + -ing ²

Explanation

When something is grating, it's extremely harsh and irritating, like the grating sound of your alarm clock early on a Monday morning. As an adjective, grating is particularly good for describing unpleasant sounds, like the grating voice of someone who's nagging you. As a noun, a grating is an object in the shape of a grid, with parallel bars forming regular squares or rectangles. This kind of grating is often used as a cover for an opening, like the grating that covers a storm drain in the gutter or an exhaust fan in the ceiling.

Example Sentences

None of these middling elements would be particularly grating if it weren’t so apparent that “Cars” had an ulterior capitalist motive.

From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026

He looked through the door and was able to see a grating sitting on top of other gratings - leaving a void with the North Sea below it.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

That made him few friends in his own party, with many finding his personal ambition grating — he once wrote a letter to then-Gov.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026

When these strips are positioned closer together than the wavelength of light, the grating can act like a near-perfect mirror while also holding the light inside a very small volume.

From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026

Her mom’s voice was still grating from three floors away.

From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older