Meaning & use
friction
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Meanings
noununcountablephysics
The force that resists sliding when two surfaces touch and move against each other.
Grammar: No plural in this sense: there is less friction on ice.
Patterns
- friction between something and something
- reduce friction
Oil reduces friction between the moving parts of the engine.
Friction between the tires and the road helps the car stop.
Rubbing your hands together creates friction and warmth.
noununcountablefigurative
Disagreement or bad feeling between people or groups, caused by differing wishes or opinions.
Grammar: Often with between or over: friction between the two teams.
Patterns
- friction between people
- friction over something
There was friction between the two brothers over the family business.
The new rule caused friction among the staff.
Sharing a small kitchen led to daily friction.
Word forms
| plural | frictions |
|---|
Common combinations
- reduce friction
- Wax helps reduce friction on the skis.
- cause friction
- The late arrivals caused friction in the group.
- friction between
- Friction between neighbors grew over the fence.
- create friction
- Rubbing the sticks together creates friction.
- ease friction
- A calm talk eased the friction.
- friction over
- There was friction over who would lead.
Synonyms and how they differ
- conflict
- Conflict is stronger and can mean open fighting, whereas friction is milder tension.
- tension
- Tension is a general feeling of strain, but friction suggests it comes from contact between people.
- resistance
- Resistance is the broader word for opposing force, while friction is about surfaces rubbing.
- discord
- Discord is a formal word for lack of agreement.
Opposites
Word family
- frictional adjective
- caused by or relating to friction
- frictionless adjective
- without friction
- fricative noun
- a speech sound made by forcing air through a narrow gap
Commonly confused: friction or fiction?
friction vs fiction
Fiction is invented stories; friction is rubbing or tension, and the two look similar when read fast.
Practice
The moving parts of the machine were coated with oil to reduce ___.
Choose one answer.
Friction is the resistance between moving surfaces; fiction, fraction and faction are look-alike words with unrelated meanings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “friction”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.