chafed; chafing
2
: to warm by rubbing especially with the hands
3
a
: to rub so as to wear away : abrade
the strap chafed his skin
The boat chafed its sides against the dock.
b
: to make sore by or as if by rubbing
The tight collar chafed his neck.
1
: to feel irritation, discontent, or impatience : fret
chafes at the rules
2
: to rub and thereby cause wear or irritation
The baby's skin chafes if the strap is too tight.
Examples of chafe in a Sentence
Verb
When the strap is too tight, it chafes the baby's skin.
If my boots aren't laced up tight they chafe.
The baby's skin will chafe if the strap is too tight.
Recent Examples on the Web
Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2025
Fake blood in color films Prop makers striving for realism and nuance chafed under the restrictions of early film technology.
—Mark Hay, Popular Science, 9 Oct. 2025
Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 26 Oct. 2025
The soft details include a tagless design and chafe-free stitching, and the crew neck retains its shape well.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chafe
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Verb
Yet the narrator seems to chafe against this a little, too.
—Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2025
Fake blood in color films Prop makers striving for realism and nuance chafed under the restrictions of early film technology.
—Mark Hay, Popular Science, 9 Oct. 2025
Noun
This set of five mid-rise thongs is designed for yoga and everyday wear, with chafe-resistant flat seams and a stretchy waistband that won’t dig into skin.
—Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 26 Oct. 2025
The soft details include a tagless design and chafe-free stitching, and the crew neck retains its shape well.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chafe
Cite this Entry
“Chafe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chafe. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
chafe
1 of 2 transitive verb
chafed; chafing
: to irritate or make sore by or as if by rubbing
chafe
2 of 2 noun
: injury caused by friction
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