grate on

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitive or intransitive

   to annoy someone gradually, especially by being repeated or by continuing for a long time

   Grammar: Often used with 'on': the noise grated on me. It can also stand alone: his voice really grates.

   Patterns

   • grate on someone
   • grate on someone's nerves
   • it grates on me when ...

   The constant tapping of the keyboard began to grate on her.

   His cheerful whistling grated on everyone in the quiet office.

   It grates on me when people interrupt without apologizing.

2. 2verbintransitive

   to make a harsh, unpleasant sound by rubbing against a hard surface

   Grammar: No object; often followed by 'on' or 'against': the door grated on the floor.

   Patterns

   • grate on something
   • grate against something

   The old gate grated on the rusty hinges.

   The chair grated against the tiled floor as he pushed it back.

Word forms

Common combinations

grate on someone's nerves

The endless drilling outside grated on my nerves all morning.

grate on the ear

Her sharp laugh grated on the ear.

begin to grate

After an hour, the music began to grate.

Synonyms and how they differ

irritate

Irritate is more direct and can describe a single event; 'grate on' suggests a slow, repeated annoyance.

annoy

Annoy is a general word; 'grate on' is stronger and often used about sounds or habits.

jar

Jar is used for unpleasant sounds or colors that feel wrong; it is less common in everyday speech than 'grate on'.

Opposites

Word family

grating adjective

unpleasantly harsh, as in a grating voice

grate verb

to rub food into small pieces, or to make a harsh sound

Commonly confused: grate on or great? grate on or grate on?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “grate on”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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