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

"You can grate it, it's salty, it has a nice texture, it can be added to pasta. And it's just really cool to see… the fermentation can help it become delicious."

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

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

From Barron's ● Mar. 26, 2026

There is no shame in Gyllenhaal’s game, and her honest excitement to dabble with references and emotion is refreshing, even when these moments grate.

From Salon ● Mar. 8, 2026

In Manhattan: While standing over a subway grate at 52nd Street and Lexington Avenue, Marilyn Monroe holds down her white billowing dress for “The Seven Year Itch.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 16, 2026

One of them exploded on the grate near me, and I was showered with slush and ice.

From "Prisoner B-3087" by Alan Gratz

The next day is deep-clean Monday, when First Watch dishwashers scrub coffee urns and the greasy grates where bacon sizzles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 12, 2026

What grates with a lot of people in the game is that they are not asked what they think the problem is with VAR.

From BBC ● Mar. 6, 2026

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

Irvine stopped to point out some Imagineering crafted grates, which hide utilities with astrological flourishes, and said she scoured antique shops from “Pasadena to Temecula” looking for items that would fit.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 17, 2025

If the majority of the bone-tar had gone down the grates....

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

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

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

I like making homemade cottage cheese tzatziki with grated cucumbers, diced mint, fresh dill, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic powder and salt.

From Salon ● May 24, 2026

Stir a spoonful into hot pasta with a splash of pasta water and grated parmesan, and you get something creamy and cohesive in seconds.

From Salon ● Apr. 28, 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

The constant criticism grated on her nerves, and as soon as she could escape — on an afternoon when Ana and Clara and Lady Isobel went into the City — she fled the house.

From "Ash" by Malinda Lo

The unwanted beam copies, called grating lobes, can confuse the sensor and generate false detections.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 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

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

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

There were no floodlights in the garden, no guards either—who'd steal vegetables?—and only a door with a grating over it, a door that was locked at night, led from the yard into the house.

From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke

Related Words

• mince
• rub