rasped; rasping; rasps
1
: to rub with something rough
specifically
: to abrade with a rasp
2
: to grate upon : irritate
3
: to utter in a raspy tone
rasper
noun
1
: a coarse file with cutting points instead of lines
2
: something used for rasping
3
a
: an act of rasping
b
: a rasping sound, sensation, or effect
Synonyms
Examples of rasp in a Sentence
Verb
“Let go of my arm,” she rasped.
The metal boxes rasped as they were dragged across the floor.
Noun
the rusted lock opened with a rasp
Recent Examples on the Web
Brendan McAleer, Car and Driver, 26 Aug. 2023
Accents, postures, props and hairstyles are fanatically accurate; there’s even a hat-tip (by Adam Cork) to John Williams’s sawing, rasping theme at the start.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 10 Aug. 2023
With its sharp tongue, the lamprey rasps away at the fish’s flesh to feed on its blood and body fluids, per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 July 2023
Reeds rasp, bows grind, voices growl, and strings shimmer with overtones.
—Burkhard Bilger, The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2023
The short list of ingredients can be prepped even faster with the help of a Microplane zester (aka rasp).
—Bhg Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Mar. 2023
City did take their foot off the pedal a little, but Fernandinho still tested Pickford with a rasping drive in the 57th minute, which took a deflection off Calvert-Lewin.
—SI.com, 31 Mar. 2018
The plummeting temperatures give rise to high-altitude clouds suffused with the CFCs still swirling in Earth’s atmosphere, which then rasp away at the nearby ozone.
—Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2020
With rasping percussion early on — four washboards! — dissonances rise through the winds.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, 10 Jan. 2020
Kyle Denis, Billboard, 20 Oct. 2023
Mizu is a strong, silent type a la Geralt of Rivia, complete with a chatty sidekick in the irrepressible Ringo (Masi Oka) — but the combination of intensity, nonchalance and badassery contained in Erskine’s rasp feels entirely her own.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Oct. 2023
Fame has aged Cobain’s plaintive rasp, as if celebrity were some kind of public dungeon that turned his shout into a prisoner’s, looking for an echo in solitary confinement.
—Howard Hampton, Spin, 21 Sep. 2023
Over chilling, Carpenter-esque dirges, and in his unique ghostly rasp, Jeezy would go into drug-trade specifics.
—Abe Beame, Vulture, 23 Aug. 2023
Beyoncé just as effectively snarled and spat, working her voice into a throaty rasp or frantic lather that implied serious consequences for challengers and haters.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 23 July 2023
For most of Malone's acoustic renditions, the ting of his guitar and the rasp of his voice were the only sounds coming from the stage.
—Joshua Medintz, The Enquirer, 10 July 2023
Asked in his interview which radio station would mean the most to hear his tune played on, Jackson, whose speaking voice also has a musical rasp, responded Q106.5 in Baton Rouge.
—Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2022
Stewart’s signature rasp broke out as a staple of The Jeff Beck Group.
—USA TODAY, 25 July 2023
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Verb
So-equipped, the fizzy little 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine is good for 125 horsepower and 127 pound-feet of torque, rasping its merry song out of a stainless-steel exhaust.
—Brendan McAleer, Car and Driver, 26 Aug. 2023
Accents, postures, props and hairstyles are fanatically accurate; there’s even a hat-tip (by Adam Cork) to John Williams’s sawing, rasping theme at the start.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 10 Aug. 2023
With its sharp tongue, the lamprey rasps away at the fish’s flesh to feed on its blood and body fluids, per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 July 2023
Reeds rasp, bows grind, voices growl, and strings shimmer with overtones.
—Burkhard Bilger, The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2023
The short list of ingredients can be prepped even faster with the help of a Microplane zester (aka rasp).
—Bhg Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Mar. 2023
City did take their foot off the pedal a little, but Fernandinho still tested Pickford with a rasping drive in the 57th minute, which took a deflection off Calvert-Lewin.
—SI.com, 31 Mar. 2018
The plummeting temperatures give rise to high-altitude clouds suffused with the CFCs still swirling in Earth’s atmosphere, which then rasp away at the nearby ozone.
—Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2020
With rasping percussion early on — four washboards! — dissonances rise through the winds.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, 10 Jan. 2020
Noun
The new arrangements also allowed Ms. Hill to find new pockets, providing the foundation for some truly virtuosic rapping to complement the rasp and physicality that bookmarked her singing.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 20 Oct. 2023
Mizu is a strong, silent type a la Geralt of Rivia, complete with a chatty sidekick in the irrepressible Ringo (Masi Oka) — but the combination of intensity, nonchalance and badassery contained in Erskine’s rasp feels entirely her own.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Oct. 2023
Fame has aged Cobain’s plaintive rasp, as if celebrity were some kind of public dungeon that turned his shout into a prisoner’s, looking for an echo in solitary confinement.
—Howard Hampton, Spin, 21 Sep. 2023
Over chilling, Carpenter-esque dirges, and in his unique ghostly rasp, Jeezy would go into drug-trade specifics.
—Abe Beame, Vulture, 23 Aug. 2023
Beyoncé just as effectively snarled and spat, working her voice into a throaty rasp or frantic lather that implied serious consequences for challengers and haters.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 23 July 2023
For most of Malone's acoustic renditions, the ting of his guitar and the rasp of his voice were the only sounds coming from the stage.
—Joshua Medintz, The Enquirer, 10 July 2023
Asked in his interview which radio station would mean the most to hear his tune played on, Jackson, whose speaking voice also has a musical rasp, responded Q106.5 in Baton Rouge.
—Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2022
Stewart’s signature rasp broke out as a staple of The Jeff Beck Group.
—USA TODAY, 25 July 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rasp.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English, from Anglo-French *rasper, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German raspōn to scrape together
First Known Use
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun
circa 1512, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of rasp was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near rasp
Cite this Entry
“Rasp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rasp. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
rasp
1 of 2 verb1
: to rub with or as if with a rough file
rasp off a rough edge
2
3
: to speak or say in an irritated tone
4
: to make a harsh grating sound
rasp
2 of 2 noun1
: a coarse file with cutting points instead of lines
2
: a rasping sound or sensation
More from Merriam-Webster on rasp
Nglish: Translation of rasp for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rasp
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