chafe — English Dictionary

Noun

1. Heat excited by friction.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

2. Injury or wear caused by friction.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

3. Vexation; irritation of mind; rage.

   Usage

   • Archaic
   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   Like a wylde Bull, that, being at a bay, / Is bayted of a mastiffe and a hound / […] That in his chauffe he digs the trampled ground / And threats his horns […]

   When we returned we found the poor prisoner in a terrible chafe with the sentinel for detaining him, for the guard had been true to his trust.

Verb

1. To excite heat in by friction; to rub in order to stimulate and make warm.

   Usage

   • Transitive

2. To excite passion or anger in; to fret; to irritate.

   Usage

   • Figurative
   • Transitive

3. To fret and wear by rubbing.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Examples

   to chafe a cable

   More examples (1)

   i was reminded why i stopped wearing jeans. they hurt so bad compared to pleated pants […] yeah, but the sides of my hips and my junk were all sore. idr the english word, but ig they were ”wearing against it”. oh ”chafe”?

4. To rub; to come together so as to wear by rubbing; to wear by friction.

   Usage

   • Intransitive

   Examples

   the troubled Tiber chafing with her shores

   [Gitche Manito] Breathed upon the neighbouring forest, / Made its great boughs chafe together, / Till in flame they burst and kindled; […]

5. To be worn by rubbing.

   Usage

   • Intransitive

   Examples

   A cable chafes.

6. To have a feeling of vexation; to be vexed; to fret; to be irritated.

   Usage

   • Figurative
   • Intransitive

   Examples

   He will chafe at the doctor's marrying my daughter.

   Many local politicians chafed under the restrictions of Guided Democracy[…]

   More examples (1)

   As Meta has spent billions to bring in A.I. talent, some members of the old guard have chafed at the new hires, three people with knowledge of the matter said.

Noun

1. soreness and warmth caused by friction

   Broader terms

   tendernesssorenessrawness

   Examples

   he had a nasty chafe on his knee

2. anger produced by some annoying irritation

   Synonyms

   annoyancevexation

   Broader terms

   angercholerire

Verb

1. become or make sore by or as if by rubbing

   Synonyms

   gallfret

   Broader terms

   irritate

2. feel extreme irritation or anger

   Broader terms

   feelexperience

   Examples

   He was chafing at her suggestion that he stay at home while she went on a vacation

3. cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations

   Synonyms

   annoyragget tobotherget atirritaterilenarknettlegravelvexdevil

   Broader terms

   displease

   Examples

   Mosquitoes buzzing in my ear really bothers me

   It irritates me that she never closes the door after she leaves

4. tear or wear off the skin or make sore by abrading

   Synonyms

   excoriate

   Broader terms

   abradecorradeabraserub downrub off

   Examples

   This leash chafes the dog's neck

5. cause friction

   Synonyms

   rubfrayfretscratch

   Broader terms

   touchadjoinmeetcontact

   Examples

   my sweater scratches

6. warm by rubbing, as with the hands

   Broader terms

   warm