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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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 Thiaw paced, head bowed, arms crossed, as his Senegal players celebrated Gueye’s second rasping shot of the afternoon. — Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 26 June 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
  • Workers also reported hoarse voices, chronic coughs and asthma-like symptoms.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • When 39 days of elite physical punishment concluded with stadium lights dimming across North America, millions of fans limped away from watch parties with hoarse voices and sore feet.
    — Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of hoarse
Verb
  • For someone with a flexible foot or a narrow forefoot where the toes tend to crowd each other, separating the big toe from the second toe can reduce rubbing and irritation.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The forward has also trademarked his nickname ‘Cold Palmer’, a nod to his celebration, crossing and rubbing his arms as though to warm himself up.
    — Hannah Vanbiber, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of rubbing
Verb
  • The selloff in exchange stocks has execs in Chicago and New York scratching their heads, according to on and off-the-record conversations with executives.
    — Oliver Renick, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026
  • John DeBacker The kitten was surprised and tried to put up a fight, meowing, scratching and trying to get loose before DeBacker put it in a crate.
    — Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 19 Aug. 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
  • The veteran Ford was counted on entering camp to be the sixth man in the offensive line room, but plays like those have come far too often while eroding the team’s confidence in him coming off the bench.
    — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Traditional business moats are eroding, exemplified by Chegg's collapse, as the market prices certainty into an inherently uncertain technology, causing unprecedented volatility and layoffs.
    — Jemma Green, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of eroding
Adjective
  • When Duffy walked out humbly to the stage, with a gentle handwave and smile, Dupree removed his cap atop his long rocker ponytail, put his gruff hand on Duffy’s lean shoulder and asked the crowd for a moment of silence.
    — Angela George, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Tyler Hoechlin will play her love interest, Brendan, a gruff fishing boat captain.
    — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of gruff
Verb
  • Kruz and Josie catch the guy’s eye on the dance floor and invite him to join their impromptu grinding session, which is also when Joe catches the pair touching in a way that suggests relationship-level familiarity.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 23 Aug. 2026
  • But almost all beef that is meant to be used for grinding beef, which comes from Australia or Brazil, is frozen, and a large portion of that goes to food service operations, mostly fast food companies.
    — Dan Mangan,Pippa Stevens, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of grinding
Verb
  • According to the waiter, even a request as simple as removing cheese from a burger might result in the kitchen scraping it off rather than preparing an entirely new burger.
    — Meena Thiruvengadam, Travel + Leisure, 17 Aug. 2026
  • With the sprightly energy of a schoolboy, Jean-Paul Doron bounds into an empty creek, his red suede shoes scraping pale rocks.
    — Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 14 Aug. 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 28 Aug. 2026.

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