1
as in loud
disagreeable to one's aesthetic or artistic sense
the mix of colors in that painting is terribly grating
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hoarse
harsh and dry in sound
with a grating voice, she croaked a feeble "hello"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in annoying
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
unintentionally or not, you say rude things that grate people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grating
Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2025
The grating sound of the dial-up internet connecting is what most remember.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 30 Sep. 2025
Stefan Ionescu
march 30, New Atlas, 30 Mar. 2026
That polish doesn’t stop it from being seriously grating at times, though, especially when some of its jokes land with a thud.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grating
Adjective
The scale of that tragedy may be what makes Harris’s complaints seem so petty, however well founded many of them may be, and her deflection of responsibility so grating.
—Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2025
The grating sound of the dial-up internet connecting is what most remember.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
The rear uses steel grating and reflective grey surfaces with the same square geometry as the front.
—Stefan Ionescu
march 30, New Atlas, 30 Mar. 2026
That polish doesn’t stop it from being seriously grating at times, though, especially when some of its jokes land with a thud.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grating
Adjective
-
And still, Goodell was greeted by a loud chorus of boos.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Jeffrey Spadjinske, police were called to the meeting on the report that individuals in attendance were being loud and disruptive.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The quality of a live show, especially one from a legacy band like Journey, comes down to whether the fans leave satisfied: If diehards and casuals alike walk out of the building with grins and hoarse voices from singing along to the big numbers, that’s a successful outing.—
Heather Bushman,
IndyStar,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Tears have been shed, throats have been screamed hoarse.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Sometimes, rage bait can be relatively harmless – a recipe that contains disgusting food combinations or someone annoying their pet, partner or sibling.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
1 Dec. 2025
-
But what’s been annoying me even more is that these women should have been trained by producers to start recording on their own cell phones if drama starts to unfold after cameras go down.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
12 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Pine-Sol removes that grime without scratching the appliances.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Pulido told the crowd, before scratching his signature onto the brim and handing it to Jimena, who pumped it in the air and shrieked with joy.—
Jesús Rodríguez,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In photo after photo, video after video, North Shore residents are painted in mud, scraping it off driveways, sweeping it out of kitchens and heaving it into trucks along with their household debris.—
Thomas Heaton,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Process for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed, until the mixture is smooth and sticky.—
Laura Mclively,
Mercury News,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The idea is to use places, such as Antarctica and space, as real-world testbeds where technologies can be proven under genuinely harsh conditions, like extreme cold, isolation, limited logistics, and high system reliability requirements.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Apr. 2026
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And scientists that have been working on the data have been able to pinpoint that maybe that was the cause of a very harsh winter over Europe that happened in 2010.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Leslie and her gruff-but-caring, staunch Libertarian boss Ron Swanson (the incomparable Nick Offerman) became symbols of bygone bipartisanship, not to mention endless memes.—
Jennifer Armstrong,
IndieWire,
15 Apr. 2026
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And Zendaya, as to be expected, really, is fantastic, slipping effortlessly under the skin of the gruff addict in recovery, trying to claw her way out of an increasingly deep hole.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Beneficial for the Atlantic but irritating to many beachgoers – sargassum is set to pile up across South Florida’s beaches again this summer.—
Sarah Perkel,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Sure, there are worse problems to have in life, but there’s no denying that fruit flies are irritating.—
Christine Fiorentino,
Southern Living,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grating. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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