Meaning & use
chafe or chaff
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
A phrase used to ask about the difference between two similar-sounding words: 'chafe' (to rub and irritate) and 'chaff' (grain husks or light teasing).
Grammar: Used as a heading or question, not as a normal sentence part.
Patterns
- chafe or chaff?
- the difference between chafe and chaff
The student wrote 'chafe or chaff' at the top of her notes.
A common spelling question is 'chafe or chaff' when people mean to rub skin.
In the quiz, 'chafe or chaff' tested whether we knew the two meanings.
verbtransitive or intransitive
To rub something, especially skin, until it becomes sore and irritated.
Grammar: Can take an object (chafe your skin) or be used without one (the rope chafed).
Patterns
- chafe something
- chafe against something
- something chafes
The new shoes chafed my heels during the walk.
His collar chafed against his neck in the heat.
If the strap chafes, loosen it a little.
noununcountable
The outer coverings of grain seeds, separated during threshing; also used in the phrase 'separate the wheat from the chaff'.
Grammar: Uncountable when referring to the husks; often used in the fixed idiom 'wheat from the chaff'.
Patterns
- wheat and chaff
- separate the wheat from the chaff
The farmer winnowed the grain to remove the chaff.
The first round of the competition separates the wheat from the chaff.
Chaff is often used as animal feed.
verbtransitiveinformalold-fashioned
To tease someone in a good-natured way.
Grammar: Takes an object: chaff someone about something.
Patterns
- chaff someone
- chaff someone about something
The teammates chaffed him about his new haircut.
She chaffed her brother gently about his fear of spiders.
Word forms
| third person singular | chafes |
|---|---|
| past tense | chafed |
| past participle | chafed |
| -ing form | chafing |
| third person singular (chaff) | chaffs |
| past tense (chaff) | chaffed |
| past participle (chaff) | chaffed |
| -ing form (chaff) | chaffing |
Common combinations
- chafe at the bit
- The horse chafed at the bit, eager to run.
- chafe under restrictions
- Teenagers often chafe under strict rules.
- separate the wheat from the chaff
- The exam separates the wheat from the chaff.
- chaffing dish
- A chaffing dish keeps food warm at a buffet.
Synonyms and how they differ
- rub
- A more general word for moving something against a surface; chafe specifically suggests causing soreness.
- irritate
- Focuses on the result (soreness) rather than the rubbing action; chafe often implies both.
- tease
- A common synonym for the 'make fun of' sense of chaff, but chaff is old-fashioned and milder.
Opposites
Word family
- chafing noun
- The act or condition of rubbing and becoming sore.
- chaff noun
- The husks of grain; also used in idioms.
Commonly confused: chafe or chaff or chaff? chafe or chaff or chafe?
chafe or chaff vs chaff
Chaff is a noun for grain husks or a verb meaning to tease; chafe is about rubbing and soreness.
chafe or chaff vs chafe
Chafe is the verb for rubbing; people sometimes misspell it as 'chaff' when they mean irritation.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'chafe' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Chafe' means to rub and irritate, so 'the rough seam chafed my skin' is correct. 'Chaff' is the word for grain husks or teasing, so options 1, 3, and 4 should use 'chaff' instead.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “chafe or chaff”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.