Synonyms of abrades

abrades

verb

present tense third-person singular of abrade

1

as in erodes

to damage or diminish by continued friction

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• erodes
• wears
• frays
• rubs
• chafes
• reduces
• erases
• scrapes
• shaves
• sharpens
• bites
• frets
• eats
• gnaws
• galls
• frazzles
• rasps
• corrades
• corrodes
• grazes
• disintegrates
• scours
• sandpapers
• decomposes
• sandblasts
• files
• grates
• chews
• dissolves
• scuffs
• grinds
• hones
• wipes (away)
• wears out
• nibbles
• whets
• rubs out
• breaks down
• breaks up

2

as in irritates

to make sore by continued rubbing

my new running shoes abraded my heels until they blistered

Synonyms & Similar Words

• irritates
• scrapes
• scratches
• chafes
• frets
• excoriates
• galls
• grazes
• burns
• peels
• inflames
• skins
• flays

3

as in scrapes

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

• scrapes
• scratches
• grazes
• bruises
• scuffs
• chafes
• barks
• lacerates
• skins
• claws
• frets
• cuts
• galls
• contuses

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• softens
• smooths
• waxes
• polishes

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of abrades

The standard explanation for why rain causes corrosion is that water carries dissolved salts and acids to a surface, constant drumming of raindrops abrades whatever protective coating is on it, and oxygen does the rest. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026

Each time clothes rub against each other in the washer, the friction abrades the fibers slightly causing the surface to look dull. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 8 Nov. 2025