gnaw

verb \ ˈnȯ \

Updated on: 8 Apr 2018

Definition of gnaw

transitive verb

1 a : to bite or chew on with the teeth; especially : to wear away by persistent biting or nibbling

a dog gnawing a bone

b : to make by gnawing

rats gnawed a hole

2 a : to be a source of vexation to : plague

anxiety always gnawing him

b : to affect like gnawing

hunger gnawing her vitals

3 : erode, corrode

intransitive verb

1 : to bite or nibble persistently

gnawing at his underlip

2 : to produce an effect of or as if of gnawing

waves gnawing away at the cliffs

—

gnawer

play \ˈnȯ(-ə)r\ noun

See gnaw defined for English-language learners

See gnaw defined for kids

Examples of gnaw in a Sentence

The dog was gnawing a bone.
He nervously gnawed on his fingernails.
Rabbits have gnawed at the hedge.
Rabbits had gnawed a hole in the hedge.

Recent Examples of gnaw from the Web

Those living far away were gnawed by terror nonetheless, their fears fueled by the fires that illuminated the western sky.

— aimee levitt, Chicago Reader, "Archive Dive / History / Media / News / Race On April 5, 1968, the west side was on fire," 5 Apr. 2018
Khosrowshahi said, as the family’s cat, Moshe, gnawed on his foot.

— rachel aviv, The New Yorker, "At Uber, a New C.E.O. Shifts Gears," 30 Mar. 2018
Pesky squirrels who like to gnaw on those lines have to be dealt with.

— thomas farragher, BostonGlobe.com, "A sweet romance in pursuit of their maple-coated dream," 27 Mar. 2018
But animal tissue begins to degrade soon after death as bacteria start to gnaw away at newly defenseless cells.

— jacob brogan, Smithsonian, "The Real Reasons You Shouldn’t Clone Your Dog," 22 Mar. 2018
As tension built inside me, a thought kept gnawing at me — how badly we had been taught about the Civil War, how little about slavery or Reconstruction, or Jim Crow, for that matter.

— mitch landrieu, Time, "New Orleans Mayor: America Is Stuck 'In a Mentality Where They Could Lynch You'," 19 Mar. 2018
There are termites in the foundation and a number of those are gnawing away at night.

— Bloomberg.com, "Davos Warns Not to Get Too Complacent While World Economy Picks Up," 22 Jan. 2018
The sadness of Adrian's experience, and his gnawing failure to be able to share his private life with his family, is countered by his relief at finally being open with someone from that world.

— david rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, "'1985': Film Review | SXSW 2018," 10 Mar. 2018
Dragonland is a state of mind, too, full of loud explosions and flamethrowers to combat a deeper, gnawing feeling.

— michael paterniti, GQ, "Dragonman, the Man Who Sells “People-Hunting Guns”," 7 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gnaw.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of gnaw

Middle English gnawen, from Old English gnagan; akin to Old High German gnagan to gnaw

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

gnaw Synonyms

Synonyms

bite (at), corrode, eat, erode, fret, nibble;

Near Antonyms

freshen, recreate, refresh, refreshen, regenerate, rejuvenate, renew, restore, revitalize, revive;

decimate, destroy, devastate, ruin, waste, wreck;

GNAW Defined for English Language Learners

gnaw

verb

Definition of gnaw for English Language Learners

: to bite or chew (something) repeatedly
: to make (a hole in something) by chewing

GNAW Defined for Kids

gnaw

verb \ ˈnȯ \

Definition of gnaw for Students

gnawed; gnawing

: to bite so as to wear away : bite or chew upon

The dog gnawed a bone.

Learn More about gnaw

See words that rhyme with gnaw Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for gnaw Spanish Central: Translation of gnaw Nglish: Translation of gnaw for Spanish speakers

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gnaw

Definition of gnaw

gnawer

Examples of gnaw in a Sentence

Recent Examples of gnaw from the Web

Origin and Etymology of gnaw

gnaw Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

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Related Phrases

GNAW Defined for English Language Learners

gnaw

Definition of gnaw for English Language Learners

GNAW Defined for Kids

gnaw

Definition of gnaw for Students

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