chafe

verb
UK: /tʃeɪf/
US: /tʃeɪf/

  1. To rub roughly and cause irritation or wear away.

    1. The collar will chafe his neck if it's too tight.
    2. The constant friction began to chafe the skin around the wound, causing discomfort.

  2. To become annoyed or impatient because of restrictions or delays.

    1. I begin to chafe when I'm stuck inside all day.
    2. Confined to the small village, he began to chafe at the lack of opportunity.

Synonyms

fret abrade gall irritate rub
chafe noun

  1. A sore or inflammation caused by rubbing.

    1. The chafe on my leg is very painful.
    2. After the long hike, she noticed a painful chafe where her backpack had rubbed.

  2. Annoyance or irritation.

    1. The constant delays caused considerable chafe.
    2. There was significant chafe among the passengers due to the prolonged flight delay.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "chafe" in English means: To rub roughly and cause irritation or wear away., To become annoyed or impatient because of restrictions or delays..

The phonetic transcription of "chafe" is /tʃeɪf/ in British English and /tʃeɪf/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "chafe": fret, abrade, gall, irritate, rub.

Example usage of "chafe": "The collar will chafe his neck if it's too tight.". More examples on the page.