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rasping 1 of 2

adjective

as in hoarse
harsh and dry in sound a patient beset by a rasping cough from years of smoking

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rasping

2 of 2

verb

present participle of rasp
1
as in rubbing
to make smooth by friction after sawing the board in half, rasp the ends to remove any splinters

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2
as in scratching
to pass roughly and noisily over or against a surface the sound of fingernails rasping on the blackboard makes me cringe

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3
as in annoying
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts the two siblings seemed intent on rasping each other for the entire car trip

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4
as in eroding
to damage or diminish by continued friction during the last ice age, glaciers rasped the surface, leaving the deeply scarred rock

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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 rasping
Verb
Stach’s rasping effort, 30 yards from goal, wide left, beat the Belgian at his near post to steal the match for Leeds. — Beren Cross, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 Yet Karter is utterly at ease behind the mic, rasping through a wistful melody with an unlit cigarette between her fingers, a black motorcycle jacket slipping off one shoulder. — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 6 July 2026 Koulibaly misjudged a clearance and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy was unable to keep out substitute Marcus Pedersen’s rasping shot to give Norway the lead close to halftime. — Monica Alba, NBC news, 24 June 2026 The voice was faint and rasping, like the sound of pebbles raked by a wave. — Maggie O’Farrell, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026 When the beetle takes flight, the woman, who is busy unpacking, doesn’t realize for a moment that there’s something out of place about that rasping ruckus, that foreign hum. — María Ospina, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026 Thrips have rasping, sucking mouthparts. — Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 3 Mar. 2026 Negron, in particular, completely throws himself into it, rasping and howling and wailing out ad-libs. — Paul Grein, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rasping
  1. hoarse
  2. rubbing
  3. scratching
  4. annoying
  5. eroding
  6. gruff
  7. grinding
  8. scraping
Adjective
  • Singers didn’t want their voices to get hoarse over the long night or week.
    — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Saliva collects at the mouthpiece and distorts the notes, making the blasts sound hoarse and off-pitch.
    — Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of hoarse
Verb
  • As far as technique, pressing is gentler on dry skin than rubbing or dragging.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Among other things, Noohu accused showrunner Ed Brubaker of rubbing his back and of making comments about running his hands through Noohu’s hair.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of rubbing
Verb
  • This characteristic can provide significant resistance to scratching and wear in demanding environments.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The waffle-weave construction provides superior cleaning and drying without scratching, complemented by brilliant, beautiful designs.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of scratching
Verb
  • Kids in all three countries loved learning dances from TikTok and annoying their siblings.
    — Ryan Lenora Brown, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Of course, this would depend on whether the managers choose to pick their strongest teams in what for some is a meaningless, even annoying extra fixture, for squads who just want to go home.
    — Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 18 July 2026
Definition of annoying
Verb
  • When the water receded, the cliffs were exposed and began eroding, revealing prehistoric remains.
    — Katie Riley, Southern Living, 20 Sep. 2026
  • And the risk factors — high spending, low growth, rising debt and elevated borrowing costs — lead some economists to warn that while Russia's economy has not collapsed, its structural foundations are eroding dangerously.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of eroding
Adjective
  • His only hope to get home turns out to be Nick (Kenneth Branagh), a gruff ex-KGB agent who loves American pop culture and is really good in a fight.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Known for his gruff vocals, LaMontagne first came to the scene in the early aughts as a timid troubadour.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of gruff
Verb
  • Early in-person voting opened Friday in Virginia and other states, launching a six-week sprint that will decide control of Congress amid a grinding Iran war and soaring living costs.
    — Ali Swenson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The staff was washing meat cutting and grinding equipment and skipping the sanitizer step.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of grinding
Verb
  • On a map, Newfoundland is a vast, asymmetrical island, cloven by bays and inlets, semi-detached to appendages of land deformed by ancient glaciers scraping over it, leaving glacial striations, grooves and gouges on its granite face.
    — Paul Theroux, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Although most of the Mauritanian men came alone, Sy had sold his land and cars, scraping together $20,000 to bring his wife and their son, now 5.
    — Claire Galofaro, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of scraping

Browse Nearby Words

rasped
rasping
rasps
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Cite this Entry

“Rasping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rasping. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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