as in joking
marked by or expressive of mild or good-natured teasing
a chaffing tone to Dad's discussion of my sister's new boyfriend
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in teasing
to make fun of in a good-natured way
chaffed her about the brightly colored shirt she had received as a gift
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in funning
to make jokes
a coworker who likes to chaff at others' expense, and this often results in hurt feelings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of chaffing
Tim Chan, Footwear News, 18 Feb. 2026
Water repellent fabrics will keep you dry to prevent chilling and chaffing.
—James Edward Mills, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2024
Verb
The Mulberry silk blend material, meantime, is soft and gentle against the skin, reducing fine lines caused by frequent rubbing or chaffing.
—Tim Chan, Footwear News, 18 Feb. 2026
Water repellent fabrics will keep you dry to prevent chilling and chaffing.
—James Edward Mills, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chaffing
Verb
-
Off Campus is playing the long game by also teasing the fourth installment in Kennedy’s series, The Goal.—
Kenneal Patterson,
Vanity Fair,
29 May 2026
-
Netflix’s The Boroughs ends with a twist, teasing the future of the series and hinting at the true origin of Mother.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Liu is sworn to secrecy about the latter fantasy epic, joking that a publicist will blow dart us from across the room for saying too much.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
-
On the King's coronation day in May 2023, videos of Thompson helping the King with his ceremonial robes went viral, with commenters joking that the handsome soldier should be crowned as well.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Zucker watched the video and thought Harper — more known for his brush with greatness as a two-time NL MVP — was kidding.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
-
Gilpin isn’t kidding about the haunting.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
The ribbing, a feature fishermen look for, also traps more air to retain body heat.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The Bay Area and Silicon Valley has always been ripe for both some ribbing and some potent storytelling on the big and small screen, due to its colorful history and its current role as capitol of the American technological zeitgeist.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
To get a sense of his whole deal, look no further than the half-mocking, half-earnest title of his latest album, Country!—
Jonathan Bernstein,
Rolling Stone,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Shah’s closest ally (and the person most willing to call Shah on his lies to himself and others) is his cousin Zulfi, a gigantic character who Khan energizes with fast-talking charm, sarcastic asides, and an assessing glare that can cut through anyone’s defenses.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
-
Yet another compared the look to Van Gogh, while others were more than ready to take Bieber up on her presumably sarcastic offer to accept appointments.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
25 May 2026
Adjective
-
And, unlike most other countries in wartime that have been attacked, there was no rallying effect for the government after October 7th.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
By widening the lens, Clark is able to redirect the book’s gaze from the mother toward a quizzical, sometimes critical, but not unaffectionate portrait of two generations of political activism, with the attendant self-involvement and domestic negligence.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Carpenter responded with a quizzical frown.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chaffing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chaffing. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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