Grating — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun adjective verb /ˈgrā-tiŋ/ grat·ing

Meaning & Definition of Grating

Grating (noun)

  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

Grating (adjective)

  1. causing irritation or annoyance; often, having a harsh or unpleasant sound

Grating (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. disagreeable to one's aesthetic or artistic sense

    "the mix of colors in that painting is terribly grating"

    similar: grotesque, harsh, jarring, unaesthetic
    related: acid, flashy, garish, gaudy, loud, tawdry, tacky, tasteless, vulgar, inartistic, unartistic, artless, clumsy, crude, graceless, inelegant, rude, uncouth, uncultured, unrefined, disgusting, gross, obscene, repugnant, repulsive, ugly, disagreeable, jolting, unpleasant, unpleasing, blaring, clashing, discordant, disharmonious, dissonant, inharmonious, jangling, off-key, ragged, raspy, raucous, unmelodious, unmusical, bizarre, kinky, odd, outlandish, shocking
    opposite: aesthetic
    near: artful, artistic, attractive, beautiful, becoming, comely, agreeable, appealing, felicitous, good, harmonious, harmonizing, pleasing, seemly, calming, comforting, soothing, softened, subdued, cultured, elegant, graceful, gracious, polished, refined, tasteful

  2. harsh and dry in sound

    "with a grating voice, she croaked a feeble hello"

    similar: coarse, croaking, croaky, gravel, gravelly, gruff, hoarse, husky, rasping, raspy, rusty, scratchy, throaty
    related: growling, growly, guttural, abrasive, cacophonous, discordant, grinding, jarring, rough, scraping, scratching, cawing, raucous, screeching, squawking, strident, choked, cracked, strained, strangled, dissonant, inharmonious, unmelodious, unmusical
    near: gentle, gliding, golden, liquid, mellifluent, mellifluous, mellow, soothing, sweet, tender, satiny, silken, smooth, soft, velvety, euphonious, lyric, lyrical, melodic, melodious, musical

Grating (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts

    "unintentionally or not, you say rude things that grate people"

    similar: aggravating, annoying, bothering, bugging, burning (up), chafing, eating, exasperating, frosting, galling, getting, griping, hacking (off), irking, irritating, itching, narking (British), nettling, peeving, persecuting, piquing, putting out, rasping, riling, ruffling, spiting, vexing, getting one's goat, getting on one's nerves, getting to, rubbing the wrong way, setting one's teeth on edge, sticking in one's craw, wearing on
    related: hassling, heckling, nagging, inflaming, provoking, rousing, badgering, baiting, bullyragging, deviling, hagriding, harassing, harrying, pestering, plaguing, teasing, angering, antagonizing, enraging, incensing, infuriating, maddening, rankling, roiling, agitating, discomforting, discomposing, disquieting, distressing, exercising, freaking (out), fretting, perturbing, undoing, unhinging, unsettling, upsetting, worrying, affronting, insulting, miffing, offending, outraging
    near: appeasing, conciliating, mollifying, obliging, pacifying, placating, propitiating, delighting, gladdening, gratifying, pleasing, satisfying, assuring, cheering, comforting, consoling, contenting, quieting, reassuring, solacing, soothing

  2. to pass roughly and noisily over or against a surface

    "the sled grated along the bare pavement"

    similar: grinding, rasping, scraping, scratching
    related: rubbing, groaning, whining
    near: gliding, skating, sliding

  3. to press or strike against or together so as to make a scraping sound

    "he grated the pieces of metal together"

    similar: crunching, gnashing, grinding, gritting, scraping, scrunching
    related: creaking, groaning, moaning, rasping, scratching, whining, clashing, colliding, jangling, jarring

Related Entry: Grate (verb)

Grate is a different word from Grating. The synonyms below are for grate, not for grating.

  1. to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts

    "unintentionally or not, you say rude things that grate people"

    similar: aggravate, annoy, bother, bug, burn (up), chafe, eat, exasperate, frost, gall, get, gripe, hack (off), irk, irritate, itch, nark (British), nettle, peeve, persecute, pique, put out, rasp, rile, ruffle, spite, vex, get one's goat, get on one's nerves, get to, rub the wrong way, set one's teeth on edge, stick in one's craw, wear on
    related: hassle, heckle, nag, inflame, provoke, rouse, badger, bait, bullyrag, devil, hagride, harass, harry, pester, plague, tease, anger, antagonize, enrage, incense, infuriate, madden, rankle, roil, agitate, discomfort, discompose, disquiet, distress, exercise, freak (out), fret, perturb, undo, unhinge, unsettle, upset, worry, affront, insult, miff, offend, outrage
    near: appease, conciliate, mollify, oblige, pacify, placate, propitiate, delight, gladden, gratify, please, satisfy, assure, cheer, comfort, console, content, quiet, reassure, solace, soothe

  2. to pass roughly and noisily over or against a surface

    "the sled grated along the bare pavement"

    similar: grind, rasp, scrape, scratch
    related: rub, groan, whine
    near: glide, skate, slide

  3. to press or strike against or together so as to make a scraping sound

    "he grated the pieces of metal together"

    similar: crunch, gnash, grind, grit, scrape, scrunch
    related: creak, groan, moan, rasp, scratch, whine, clash, collide, jangle, jar

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Grating

The most common words with a similar meaning to Grating:

British: narking
grotesque, harsh, jarring, unaesthetic, coarse, croaking, croaky, gravel, gravelly, gruff, hoarse, husky, rasping, raspy, rusty, scratchy, throaty, aggravating, annoying, bothering, bugging, burning (up), chafing, eating, exasperating, frosting, galling, getting, griping, hacking (off), irking, irritating, itching, nettling, peeving, persecuting, piquing, putting out, riling, ruffling

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Grating

Words with the opposite meaning of Grating:

aesthetic

Related Words for Grating

acid, flashy, garish, gaudy, loud, tawdry, tacky, tasteless, vulgar, inartistic, unartistic, artless, clumsy, crude, graceless, inelegant, rude, uncouth, uncultured, unrefined, disgusting, gross, obscene, repugnant, repulsive, ugly, disagreeable, jolting, unpleasant, unpleasing

Near Antonyms of Grating

artful, artistic, attractive, beautiful, becoming, comely, agreeable, appealing, felicitous, good, harmonious, harmonizing, pleasing, seemly, calming, comforting, soothing, softened, subdued, cultured, elegant, graceful, gracious, polished, refined, tasteful, gentle, gliding, golden, liquid

Word Forms of Grating

Derived words: gratingly (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Grating

First known use: 1622

Words & Phrases Containing Grating

diffraction grating

Frequently Asked Questions about Grating

What does "Grating" mean?

"Grating" means a wooden or metal lattice used to close or floor an opening. As an a noun, an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: a wooden or metal lattice used to close or floor an opening. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Grating"?

Other words for "Grating" include grotesque, harsh, jarring, unaesthetic, coarse, croaking, croaky and gravel. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Grating" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Grating"?

There are 167 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Grating". Common alternatives include grotesque, harsh, jarring, unaesthetic, coarse, croaking, croaky, gravel, gravelly and gruff.

What is the opposite of "Grating"?

Antonyms of "Grating" include aesthetic. Near antonyms include artful, artistic, attractive and beautiful.

How do you use "Grating" in a sentence?

Examples of "Grating" in a sentence: "the mix of colors in that painting is terribly grating"; "with a grating voice, she croaked a feeble hello"; "unintentionally or not, you say rude things that grate people".

Is "Grating" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Grating" can be used as a noun, an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Grating"?

"Grating" is pronounced /ˈgrā-tiŋ/ and divided into syllables as grat·ing.

What is the origin of the word "Grating"?

First known use: 1622.