scratch

verb
UK: /skrætʃ/
US: /skrætʃ/

  1. To rub your skin with your nails.

    1. I scratch my arm when it itches a lot. [ ] [ ]
    2. She had to scratch her leg because the mosquito bite was unbearable. [ ] [ ]

  2. To damage a surface by rubbing something rough against it.

    1. Don't scratch the car with your keys. [ ] [ ]
    2. The cat's claws can scratch the furniture if you're not careful. [ ] [ ]

  3. To cancel or remove something by drawing a line through it.

    1. Please scratch that name off the list. [ ] [ ]
    2. They had to scratch the old plan entirely because of new regulations. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

abrasion itch scrape remove mark cancel
scratch noun

  1. A mark made on a surface by scratching it.

    1. The table has a scratch on it. [ ] [ ]
    2. I noticed a deep scratch along the side of my new bicycle frame. [ ] [ ]

  2. A slight injury to the skin caused by something sharp.

    1. The cat gave me a little scratch. [ ] [ ]
    2. He treated the scratch with antiseptic to prevent possible infection. [ ] [ ]
scratch adverb

  1. From a point of complete absence of resources; from nothing.

    1. He built his business from scratch. [ ] [ ]
    2. She learned to play the piano from scratch, with no previous musical education. [ ] [ ]
scratch phrasal-verb

  1. To withdraw from a competition or race before it starts.

    1. He had to scratch from the race due to injury. [ ] [ ]
    2. The horse was scratched from the lineup, much to the disappointment of its fans. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "scratch" in English means: To rub your skin with your nails., To damage a surface by rubbing something rough against it., To cancel or remove something by drawing a line through it..

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

Synonyms for "scratch": abrasion, itch, scrape, remove, mark, cancel.

Example usage of "scratch": "I scratch my arm when it itches a lot.". More examples on the page.