abrasive

[ uh-brey-siv, -ziv ]

noun

1. any material or substance used for grinding, polishing, etc., as emery, pumice, or sandpaper.

adjective

1. tending to abrade; causing abrasion; abrading.

   Synonyms: rasping, rough, harsh

2. tending to annoy or cause ill will; overly aggressive:

   an abrasive personality.

abrasive

/ əˈbreɪsɪv /

noun

1. a substance or material such as sandpaper, pumice, or emery, used for cleaning, grinding, smoothing, or polishing

adjective

1. causing abrasion; grating; rough
2. irritating in manner or personality; causing tension or annoyance

Derived Forms

• aˈbrasiveness, noun

Other Words From

• a·brasive·ly adverb
• a·brasive·ness noun
• una·brasive adjective
• una·brasive·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of abrasive¹

1870–75; < Latin abrās ( us ) ( abrasion ) + -ive

Example Sentences

I found this kind of likable, yet abrasive guy who is still trying to help these people.

From Los Angeles Times

This is contemporary sound to dispel clichéd fears of abrasive modernism while never cheaply pandering to mass appeal.

From New York Times

Quizzed on a perception that she can seen as abrasive, Badenoch agreed she may need to take a more softly-softly approach.

From BBC

Downey, who plunged into tech’s moral gray zones in his “Iron Man” outings, makes it possible for an audience to both deplore McNeal and delight in the abrasive pleasure of his company.

From Los Angeles Times

Parker was often abrasive, but Crowther considers Parker empathetically, as a sui generis who resisted becoming a cog in the filmmaking machinery.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• polish