CHAFE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does chafe mean? 

• CHAFE (noun)
  The noun CHAFE has 2 senses:

1. soreness and warmth caused by friction

2. anger produced by some annoying irritation

  Familiarity information: CHAFE used as a noun is rare.

• CHAFE (verb)
  The verb CHAFE has 6 senses:

1. become or make sore by or as if by rubbing

2. feel extreme irritation or anger

3. cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations

4. tear or wear off the skin or make sore by abrading

5. cause friction

6. warm by rubbing, as with the hands

  Familiarity information: CHAFE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CHAFE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Soreness and warmth caused by friction

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Context example:

he had a nasty chafe on his knee

Hypernyms ("chafe" is a kind of...):

rawness; soreness; tenderness (a pain that is felt (as when the area is touched))

Derivation:

chafe (warm by rubbing, as with the hands)

chafe (cause friction)

chafe (tear or wear off the skin or make sore by abrading)

chafe (become or make sore by or as if by rubbing)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Anger produced by some annoying irritation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Synonyms:

annoyance; chafe; vexation

Hypernyms ("chafe" is a kind of...):

anger; choler; ire (a strong emotion; a feeling that is oriented toward some real or supposed grievance)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "chafe"):

irritation; pique; temper (a sudden outburst of anger)

frustration (a feeling of annoyance at being hindered or criticized)

aggravation; exasperation (an exasperated feeling of annoyance)

harassment; torment (a feeling of intense annoyance caused by being tormented)

displeasure (the feeling of being displeased or annoyed or dissatisfied with someone or something)

• CHAFE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they chafe    ... he / she / it chafes   
Past simple: chafed   
Past participle: chafed   
-ing form: chafing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Become or make sore by or as if by rubbing

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Synonyms:

chafe; fret; gall

Hypernyms (to "chafe" is one way to...):

irritate (excite to an abnormal condition, or chafe or inflame)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

chafe (soreness and warmth caused by friction)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Feel extreme irritation or anger

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Context example:

He was chafing at her suggestion that he stay at home while she went on a vacation

Hypernyms (to "chafe" is one way to...):

experience; feel (undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind)

Verb group:

annoy; bother; chafe; devil; get at; get to; gravel; irritate; nark; nettle; rag; rile; vex (cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sense 3

Meaning:

Cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

annoy; bother; chafe; devil; get at; get to; gravel; irritate; nark; nettle; rag; rile; vex

Context example:

It irritates me that she never closes the door after she leaves

Hypernyms (to "chafe" is one way to...):

displease (give displeasure to)

Verb group:

chafe (feel extreme irritation or anger)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "chafe"):

get; get under one's skin (irritate)

eat into; fret; grate; rankle (gnaw into; make resentful or angry)

peeve (cause to be annoyed, irritated, or resentful)

ruffle (trouble or vex)

fret (cause annoyance in)

beset; chevvy; chevy; chivvy; chivy; harass; harry; hassle; molest; plague; provoke (annoy continually or chronically)

antagonise; antagonize (provoke the hostility of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sense 4

Meaning:

Tear or wear off the skin or make sore by abrading

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

chafe; excoriate

Context example:

This leash chafes the dog's neck

Hypernyms (to "chafe" is one way to...):

abrade; abrase; corrade; rub down; rub off (wear away)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

chafe (soreness and warmth caused by friction)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Cause friction

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

chafe; fray; fret; rub; scratch

Context example:

my sweater scratches

Hypernyms (to "chafe" is one way to...):

adjoin; contact; meet; touch (be in direct physical contact with; make contact)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP
Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

chafe (soreness and warmth caused by friction)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Warm by rubbing, as with the hands

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "chafe" is one way to...):

warm (make warm or warmer)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

chafe (soreness and warmth caused by friction)

 Context examples 

I was compelled to let go the sheet while I helped her to the nest of blankets and chafed her hands and arms.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

For six years her sons had chafed under an unwonted peace.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A moisturizing skincare formulation used for various skin conditions including dry skin conditions associated with eczema, psoriasis, chapped or chafed skin.

(Eucerin, NCI Thesaurus)

We are held here with no clear means of making our escape, and bitterly we chafe against it.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Holding my hand in both his own, he chafed it; gazing on me, at the same time, with the most troubled and dreary look.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

The expression of his face was, as I remember it, exceedingly sad and gentle, with the deep lines upon it which told of the chafing of his urgent and fiery soul.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He paced restlessly about our sitting-room in a fever of suppressed energy, biting his nails, tapping the furniture, and chafing against inaction.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Whilst we were busy chafing her limbs there was a knock at the hall door.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Also, his love of freedom chafed against the restriction in much the same way his neck chafed against the starched fetter of a collar.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

You know, Copperfield, he said, in my ear (I did not turn my head), you're in quite a wrong position; which I felt to be true, and that made me chafe the more; you can't make this a brave thing, and you can't help being forgiven.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)