Synonyms of chafing

chafing 1 of 2

adjective

as in irritating

causing annoyance

learned to ignore those chafing comments that his mother-in-law was constantly making

Synonyms & Similar Words

• irritating
• annoying
• frustrating
• disturbing
• aggravating
• irksome
• painful
• vexing
• maddening
• exasperating
• bothersome
• pesky
• abrasive
• galling
• vexatious
• pestilential
• nettlesome
• rankling
• nettling
• pestiferous
• carking
• peeving
• plaguey
• rebarbative
• riling
• pesty
• pestilent
• biting
• distractive
• troubling
• troublesome
• discomforting
• infuriating
• stressful
• distressing
• displeasing
• burdensome
• importunate
• disquieting
• mischievous
• tiresome
• upsetting
• offensive
• inconveniencing
• trying
• worrisome
• enraging
• angering
• jarring
• importune
• thorny
• grating
• brattish
• bratty
• spiny
• jangling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• delightful
• pleasing

chafing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of chafe

1

as in scratching

to make sore by continued rubbing

ill-fitting boots that had badly chafed my heels

Synonyms & Similar Words

• irritating
• scratching
• scraping
• fretting
• abrading
• galling
• burning
• excoriating
• peeling
• grazing
• skinning
• inflaming
• flaying

2

as in wearing

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

• wearing
• eroding
• fraying
• rubbing
• reducing
• shaving
• galling
• fretting
• abrading
• biting
• scraping
• eating
• rasping
• gnawing
• erasing
• sharpening
• corrading
• filing
• scuffing
• chewing
• frazzling
• grazing
• nibbling
• scouring
• corroding
• grating
• sandpapering
• sandblasting
• wiping (away)
• disintegrating
• grinding
• wearing out
• decomposing
• dissolving
• honing
• whetting
• rubbing out
• breaking down
• breaking up

3

as in annoying

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• annoying
• irritating
• bothering
• bugging
• persecuting
• aggravating
• itching
• getting
• griping
• eating
• irking
• exasperating
• nettling
• galling
• vexing
• worrying
• grating
• burning (up)
• ruffling
• infuriating
• riling
• spiting
• angering
• teasing
• rasping
• getting to
• peeving
• frosting
• narking
• plaguing
• hacking (off)
• wearing on
• putting out
• provoking
• piquing
• nagging
• insulting
• rubbing the wrong way
• sticking in one's craw
• heckling
• getting on one's nerves
• harassing
• hassling
• offending
• inflaming
• getting one's goat
• setting one's teeth on edge
• upsetting
• enraging
• rousing
• distressing
• rankling
• badgering
• discomforting
• agitating
• harrying
• pestering
• fretting
• maddening
• exercising
• antagonizing
• incensing
• roiling
• unsettling
• baiting
• disquieting
• undoing
• outraging
• affronting
• perturbing
• bullyragging
• unhinging
• deviling
• hagriding
• miffing
• freaking (out)
• discomposing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• appeasing
• placating
• obliging
• pacifying
• satisfying
• gratifying
• conciliating
• pleasing
• delighting
• mollifying
• cheering
• assuring
• comforting
• propitiating
• reassuring
• soothing
• consoling
• quieting
• contenting
• gladdening
• solacing

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of chafing

Adjective

Briefs tend to work best under jeans and pants, while mid-thigh shorts are useful under dresses for extra smoothing and anti-chafing. — Malia Griggs, Glamour, 28 Aug. 2026

Rabbit’s wide-leg EZ Pants are made of a silky, breathable blend of polyester and spandex, which keeps them airy and lends to their impressive quick-drying and anti-chafing properties. — Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 10 July 2026

Shop these finds and more anti-chafing solutions at Amazon below, from $5. — Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 11 June 2026

This anti-chafing stick from MegaBabe is my go-to to prevent soreness in the inner thigh area, where legs tend to rub together. — Terri Peters, Parents, 6 Mar. 2026

Apply Lubricant Applying a thin layer of liquid lubricant or other anti-chafing topical cream to areas on your feet that are prone to blisters can help reduce friction while running. — Aubrey Bailey, Verywell Health, 25 Sep. 2025

Verb

Beside me in the rickety wooden seating, filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun is also chafing at the lack of chaos, their gentle blue eyes fixed ahead. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2026

To further create a secure feel, the shoe is also made with a plush heel collar and tongue that lock you in without chafing against your feet. — Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 20 June 2026

Women love that this shapewear keeps thighs from chafing. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026

Both had spent their entire lives chafing under the terror of bigotry, and from the hypocrisy being exposed by a heinous, toxic legacy of institutionalized double standards. — John E. Green, Time, 1 Feb. 2026

The slick material keeps chafing to a minimum during workouts, and the brushed inside is so soft against the skin and helps keep cold air out and your body heat in. — Olivia Dubyak, InStyle, 8 Jan. 2026

Plus, their padded collar prevents chafing against calves. — Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 11 Dec. 2025

Despite my profuse sweating from every pore on my body, the deodorant didn’t dissipate and allowed my thighs to glide against each other without chafing. — Laura Harold, Outside, 28 Sep. 2025

Leila, emotionally wounded by her older sister’s death, enjoys recreational drugs and skipping class with Abbie, who is chafing against her controlling parents. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2025