graze

1 to damage by rubbing against a sharp or rough surface I grazed my elbow diving for the ball Synonyms abrade, graze, scratch, scuffRelated Words bark, skin; chafe, fret, gall; claw, cut, lacerate; bruise, contuseNear Antonyms polish, smooth, soften, wax

2 to pass lightly across or touch gently especially in passing the volleyball just grazed my face, so I'm okay Synonyms graze, kiss, nudge, shave, skimRelated Words bump, contact, scrape, sideswipe, strike, sweep, swipe, touch; bounce, carom, glance, rebound, ricochet, skip; caress, cuddle, fondle, love, pat, pet, stroke; miss, skirtNear Antonyms bang, bash, bump, clash, collide, crash, hit, impact, impinge, knock, punch, ram, slam, slap, smack, smash, swipe, thud, thwack, whack

an area of skin roughened or worn away by harsh rubbing against another surface a stumble that resulted in nothing more serious than a graze on the knee Synonyms bruise, abrasion, scrapeRelated Words bedsore, gall