\ ˈchāf 
\
\chafed; chafing
Definition of chafe
(Entry 1 of 2)
2 : to warm by rubbing especially with the hands
3a : to rub so as to wear away : abrade the strap chafed his skin The boat chafed its sides against the dock.
b : to make sore by or as if by rubbing
The tight collar chafed his neck.
1 : to feel irritation, discontent, or impatience : fret chafes at the rules
2 : to rub and thereby cause wear or irritation
The baby's skin chafes if the strap is too tight.
chafe
nounDefinition of chafe (Entry 2 of 2)
Keep scrolling for more
Examples of chafe in a Sentence
Verb
When the strap is too tight, it chafes the baby's skin.
If my boots aren't laced up tight they chafe.
The baby's skin will chafe if the strap is too tight.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Most of all, the young demonstrators chafe at how conscription and other martial traditions are being used to try to create an orderly, obedient populace that hews to the military’s command.
—
Hannah Beech, New York Times, "Almost Like Clockwork, Talk of a Military Coup Follows Thai Protests," 2 Nov. 2020 Many here chafe at government regulation and dislike California’s strict gun-control policies and liberal immigration laws.
—
Hailey Branson-potts Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times, "In red California, election tests friendships, worsens divisions. ‘You can feel the tension’," 30 Oct. 2020 Still, Italians are beginning to chafe from restrictions, and a new curfew in the city of Naples set off violent protests on Friday.
—
Chiara Albanese, Bloomberg.com, "Italy Mulls Partial Lockdown as Cases, Hospitalizations Jump," 24 Oct. 2020 Its nightmare scenario is conflict in the southern Caucasus that spreads into Russia, where the Chechens are not the only Muslim ethnic minority who chafe under Moscow’s rule.
—
Walter Russell Mead, WSJ, "Can Anyone Stop the Caucasus Clash?," 5 Oct. 2020 These utilize dense foam panels to cut down on bulk, and higher-quality materials that won’t chafe your skin.
—
The Editors, Field & Stream, "Three Things to Consider Before Buying a Personal Flotation Device," 15 Sep. 2020 But while kids chafe against strictures and surveillance, as always, some have reached a point of detente.
—
Matthew Kronsberg, WSJ, "Tech to Control Your Teen Drivers—and Keep Them Safe," 5 Sep. 2020 The engine harness may contact and chafe at various locations around the air compressor and the frame rail.
—
Detroit Free Press, "Car recalls for August 20-27," 29 Aug. 2020 Trapped inside their country by the coronavirus pandemic, many Belarusians began to chafe at the inhumanity in Mr. Lukashenko’s rule and language that had once been easy to ignore.
—
Anton Troianovski, New York Times, "‘Something Broke Inside Belarusians.’ Why an Apolitical People Rose Up," 29 Aug. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Setting aside the attachment to childhood and to the suburbs in which the Butlers’ own childhoods took place, this song has Chassagne chafe at and ultimately reject the strictures of suburban life.
—
Jack Butler, National Review, "An Ode to Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs," 18 Aug. 2020 Its highly breathable mesh fabric upper keeps feet cool, dry, and chafe-free, while the ComforDry sockliner provides cushion and drainage.
—
Janna Irons, Popular Mechanics, "The Best Water Shoes for Beach Days, Wet Hikes, and Just Jumping in Puddles," 26 Mar. 2020 Some Nissan engineers believe Renault leans too heavily on the Japanese side’s technology expertise and chafe at the time spent accommodating their partner.
—
Sean Mclain, WSJ, "Nissan, Renault Seek to End Infighting With New Division of Labor," 30 Jan. 2020 On Tuesday, the first formal day of the trial, the rule was already starting to chafe.
—
Emily Cochrane, New York Times, "A Challenge for the Trial: 100 Senators Who Love to Talk, Sitting in Silence," 21 Jan. 2020 This pack is designed for women (or anyone with narrower shoulders) which means a more comfortable, chafe-free fit.
—
Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, "12 Best Hiking Backpacks for Every Outdoor Adventure," 20 Nov. 2019 That was the work of high school teachers; the job at the college level was simply to separate the wheat from the chafe.
—
Jenny Anderson, Quartz, "America’s top colleges are not the engines of social mobility they say they are," 13 Sep. 2019 But thankfully, there's a way to sort this scientific wheat from the chafe.
—
John Wenz, Popular Mechanics, "Why This New 16-Bit Carbon Nanotube Processor Is Such a Big Deal," 28 Aug. 2019 Stabilizing straps are also important—there isn’t a particular strap design or material that’s the absolute best, but secure construction and chafe-free material are two guidelines to buy by.
—
Glamour, "The Absolute Most Comfortable Sandals, According to People Who Know," 23 Aug. 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chafe.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for chafe
chafe
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of chafe
: to become irritated or annoyed : to feel impatient
: to cause soreness or damage by rubbing against something (such as your skin)
: to become sore or damaged from rubbing
See the full definition for chafe in the English Language Learners Dictionary
chafe
verb\ ˈchāf \
\chafed; chafing
Kids Definition of chafe
1 : to become irritated or impatient
Some of the guests chafed at the sleeping arrangements.
2 : to rub so as to wear away or make sore
Chains chafed the skin of the animal's legs.
chafe
transitive verb\ ˈchāf \
\chafed; chafing
Medical Definition of chafe
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to irritate or make sore by or as if by rubbing
chafe
nounMedical Definition of chafe (Entry 2 of 2)
: injury caused by friction
Comments on chafe
What made you want to look up chafe? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
What did you just call me?! A Quiz
- If a member of the audience describes your speech as bombastic, does that person mean it is:
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Share chafe
Time Traveler for chafe
The first known use of chafe was in the 14th century
See more words from the same century