1
: a wooden or metal lattice used to close or floor an opening
2
: a partition, covering, or frame of parallel bars or crossbars
3
: a system of close equidistant and parallel lines or bars ruled on a polished surface to produce spectra by diffraction
: causing irritation or annoyance
a grating habit
It's not just that the interruptions themselves are grating to watch: what's worse is the hostilities they create.—
Heather Schwedel
Heather Schwedel
often
: having a harsh or unpleasant sound
a grating voice/accent
If you just imagined that last quote spoken in Gottfried's grating, obnoxious yelling, that's now how you would hear him on the phone. —Blake Hannon
Blake Hannon The truck braked noisily with a grating shriek of steel. —Mildred D. Taylor
Mildred D. Taylor
gratingly
adverb
a gratingly harsh sound
Something in Orcutt's proprietary manner had irritated her at that first meeting, something she found gratingly egotistical in his expansive courtesy …
—Philip Roth
Philip Roth
Synonyms
Examples of grating in a Sentence
Adjective
the mix of colors in that painting is terribly grating
with a grating voice, she croaked a feeble "hello"
Recent Examples on the Web
San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2024
Some may find Eve's relentlessly upbeat tone to be a little grating.
—Adrienne So, WIRED, 1 Sep. 2018
Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024
Find it on Amazon Save Dishes With This Hand Grater
This Hand Grater has three grating surfaces, a non-slip base, measurements, and a vegetable peeler.
—Hannah Rice, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for grating 
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Noun
Under the arching cavern roof, Rojo and a group of volunteers push a green kayak through a cenote, filling bulking bags of glass beer bottles, plastic tubes, metal grating, plastic Coca-Cola bottles, rotten wooden planks and even a printer.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2024
Some may find Eve's relentlessly upbeat tone to be a little grating.
—Adrienne So, WIRED, 1 Sep. 2018
Adjective
His political opponents viewed him as grating, uncooperative, and at times dogmatic.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024
Find it on Amazon Save Dishes With This Hand Grater
This Hand Grater has three grating surfaces, a non-slip base, measurements, and a vegetable peeler.
—Hannah Rice, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for grating
Dictionary Entries Near grating
Cite this Entry
“Grating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grating. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
grating
noun
grat·ing
ˈgrāt-iŋ 
: a system of close equidistant and parallel lines or bars ruled on a polished surface to produce spectra by diffraction
called also diffraction grating
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