CHAFED Synonyms: 144 Similar and Opposite Words

chafed

verb

past tense of chafe

as in irritated

to make sore by continued rubbing ill-fitting boots that had badly chafed my heels

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in eroded

to damage or diminish by continued friction constant stepping on a rope will gradually chafe it, rendering it unsafe for rock climbing

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in annoyed

to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts nothing chafes us so much as those telemarketers who call during the dinner hour

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of chafed Musicians have chafed against being perceived forever, but ear seem to take it extra seriously. —

Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 15 June 2026 Five current and former Forest Service officials say Bridger Aerospace has chafed at the agency’s rigorous inspections, even as records and sources indicate the company has presented aircraft in need of maintenance and repairs as ready to fight fires. —

Abe Streep, ProPublica, 9 June 2026 Early has recently chafed at the relative continuity of his characters. —

Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 7 June 2026 But others have chafed at his involvement and his frequent veto threats. —

Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 2 June 2026 But lawmakers who chafed at being pushed around by the inflexible governor’s demands for the past eight years found their backbone just in time to do the wrong thing. —

Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 30 May 2026 Several also chafed at the idea that Iowa officials would likely try to hold their caucus first, regardless of whether the DNC gave them the go-ahead. —

Daniel C. Vock, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2026 In the years after, quotas were largely restored – but Opec’s ability to affect world prices was relatively limited, and poorer members often chafed at the restrictions. —

The Week Uk, TheWeek, 23 May 2026 But the announcement April 28 that the United Arab Emirates was leaving OPEC caps years of tension where the desert state chafed under the cartel’s quotas, and recently, encountered severe strain in its relationship with Saudi Arabia, the group’s most potent force by far. —

Shawn Tully, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for chafed

Verb

Hasslers, the researchers found, tended to be people who irritated the study respondents but whom the respondents could not escape.

— Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026
But one snafu irritated a sizable portion of the more than 3,000 students gathered at Arie Crown Theater to hear the astronauts discuss their mission.

— Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2026