abrasive

1 of 2

adjective

abra·​sive ə-ˈbrā-siv 

-ziv

1

: causing damage, wear, or removal of surface material by grinding or rubbing : tending to abrade

abrasive compounds for whitening teeth

an abrasive surface

2

: causing irritation

abrasive manners

an abrasive personality

abrasively adverb

abrasiveness noun

abrasive

2 of 2

noun

: a substance (such as emery or pumice) used for abrading, smoothing, or polishing

used an abrasive for polishing the rough stones

Did you know?

Abrasive Has Latin Roots

Once upon a time, English had abrade and abrase. While abrade remains a familiar word, abrase is rare but survives in abrasive. Both verbs come from abrādere, meaning "to remove by rubbing" or "to scrape off."

Synonyms of abrasive

Adjective

• annoying
• irritating
• frustrating
• disturbing

Examples of abrasive in a Sentence

Adjective

The waves had an abrasive action on the rocks.

an abrasive display of rude behavior

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Wearing a colorful polka-dot shirt, a red tie, and voluminous rainbow pants, with her hair cut in a scraggly mullet, Sherman, who is thirty-two, delivered a performance that was almost entirely given over to an abrasive discussion of the abjectness of the human body—mostly her own. —Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2025

Lilleaas’ Agnes is the more diplomatic of the two sisters, quiet and able to receive life’s woes more healthily than her more detached and abrasive sister Nora. —Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 2 Dec. 2025

Noun

The coffee grounds act as a mild abrasive and help remove debris caked onto your cookware without scratching. —Cody Godwin, USA Today, 7 Dec. 2025

Its mild abrasives, which clean teeth gently, can also effectively remove coffee and tea stains from mugs and clean piano keys. —Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin abrāsus, past participle of abrādere "to scrape off, abrade" + -ive

Noun

derivative of abrasive entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1850, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for abrasive

• invasive
• persuasive
• pervasive
• noninvasive
• unpersuasive

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Kids Definition

abrasive

1 of 2 adjective

abra·​sive ə-ˈbrā-siv 

-ziv

: having the effect of abrading

abrasively adverb

abrasiveness noun

abrasive

2 of 2 noun

: a substance (as sand) used for grinding, smoothing, or polishing

Medical Definition

abrasive

1 of 2 adjective

abra·​sive ə-ˈbrā-siv  -ziv 

: tending to abrade

an abrasive substance

abrasiveness noun

abrasive

2 of 2 noun

: a substance (as emery or pumice) used for abrading, smoothing, or polishing

called also abradant