noun
- Soreness and warmth caused by friction.
- usage: "he had a nasty chafe on his knee"
- Anger produced by some annoying irritation.
verb
- Become or make sore by or as if by rubbing.
- Feel extreme irritation or anger.
- usage: "He was chafing at her suggestion that he stay at home while she went on a vacation"
- Cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations.
- usage: "Mosquitoes buzzing in my ear really bothers me"; "It irritates me that she never closes the door after she leaves"
- Tear or wear off the skin or make sore by abrading.
- usage: "This leash chafes the dog's neck"
- synonyms: excoriate
- Cause friction.
- usage: "my sweater scratches"
- Warm by rubbing, as with the hands. .
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
| APA | WordNet. (2010). chafe. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/chafe/definitions/1246533 |
| Chicago | WordNet. 2010. "chafe" http://smartdefine.org/chafe/definitions/1246533 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | WordNet 2010, chafe, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/chafe/definitions/1246533>. |
| MLA | WordNet. "chafe" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/chafe/definitions/1246533> |