Synonyms of abrade

abrade

verb

ə-ˈbrād 

1

as in to erode

to damage or diminish by continued friction

ropes abraded by the rocks were a huge danger to the climbers

Synonyms & Similar Words

• erode
• wear
• fray
• rub
• chafe
• reduce
• scrape
• erase
• shave
• bite
• sharpen
• fret
• gall
• gnaw
• scour
• eat
• frazzle
• corrade
• graze
• chew
• corrode
• file
• sandblast
• disintegrate
• rasp
• scuff
• sandpaper
• nibble
• decompose
• grate
• dissolve
• grind
• wear out
• wipe (away)
• hone
• whet
• rub out
• break down
• break up

2

as in to irritate

to make sore by continued rubbing

my new running shoes abraded my heels until they blistered

Synonyms & Similar Words

• irritate
• scratch
• scrape
• chafe
• excoriate
• fret
• gall
• skin
• graze
• peel
• burn
• inflame
• enflame
• flay

3

as in to scrape

to damage by rubbing against a sharp or rough surface

the yacht's once-flawless wooden hull had been badly abraded by years of rough dockings

Synonyms & Similar Words

• scrape
• scratch
• graze
• scuff
• bruise
• skin
• bark
• chafe
• lacerate
• claw
• fret
• cut
• gall
• contuse

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• soften
• smooth
• polish
• wax

Examples of abrade in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After digging into it with the pet brush, there were no snags or evidence that it had been abraded. —Kathleen Felton, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Oct. 2023

The start of the holiday shopping season has been inching back for years, long abrading the novelty of Black Friday, which got its name because the rush of sales the day after Thanksgiving could change the retailers’ books from red to black. —Jaclyn Peiser, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2023

The ash will also abrade moving parts in the engine. —Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 27 July 2023

Plus, the straps and hooks can abrade the paint at the edges of trunk lids and rear hatches. —Bradley Ford, Popular Mechanics, 26 July 2023