abrasive
/əˈbreɪsɪv/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈbreɪsɪv/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈbrā-siv -ziv/ (ame, mw) · /əˈbreɪ.sɪv/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈbreɪ.sɪv/ (ame, ipa)
abrasive — adjective
- abrasivepositive
- more abrasivecomparative
- most abrasivesuperlative
1. An abrasive person or their way of speaking is blunt and critical, making other
An abrasive person or their way of speaking is blunt and critical, making other people feel hurt or annoyed rather than helped or informed.
After losing the contract, Dmitri made several abrasive remarks about his own team.
collocation: abrasive remarks / abrasive tone / abrasive manner
A reporter's abrasive question during the press conference caught the mayor off guard.
collocation: abrasive question / abrasive style
Theo's abrasive tone when correcting his younger sister upset their grandmother, who was visiting for the weekend.
Customers at the bakery complained that one cashier had an abrasive way of speaking to people.
- diplomatic
tactful and sensitive in dealing with others
- gentle
kind and soft in manner
用法筆記
Subject is typically a person, a remark, or a speaking style. Unlike the physical sense, this meaning does not apply to objects or substances.
常見錯誤
2. An abrasive substance or tool has a rough texture that rubs against a surface, s
An abrasive substance or tool has a rough texture that rubs against a surface, scraping off dirt, paint, or other material to clean, smooth, or polish it.
To remove the old paint, Wei used an abrasive pad and a lot of elbow grease.
collocation: abrasive pad / abrasive sponge
The abrasive surface of the new kitchen sponge scratched the delicate wine glass.
collocation: abrasive surface
Most dentists recommend an abrasive toothpaste for people who drink a lot of coffee.
Abrasive cleaning cloths should not be used on screens or coated glass surfaces.
用法筆記
Frequently appears before nouns such as cleaner, sponge, pad, powder, paper, or paste to describe their function. The object being cleaned is often delicate or easily damaged.
常見錯誤
abrasive — noun
- abrasivesingular
- abrasivesplural
1. A rough substance or material — such as sandpaper, pumice, or steel wool — that
A rough substance or material — such as sandpaper, pumice, or steel wool — that you rub against a surface to clean, smooth, or polish it by scraping off its top layer.
Sofia applied a fine abrasive to the stone counter and polished it until it shone.
pattern: fine abrasive / coarse abrasive + purpose result
The jeweler recommended a special abrasive for removing scratches from the gold ring.
collocation: special abrasive / industrial abrasive
Some toothpaste brands include a mild abrasive that gently polishes the enamel surface.
For the bathroom tiles, Priyanka chose an industrial abrasive that could handle the mold.
- abradant
more technical, less common in everyday speech
- grinding material
descriptive phrase; not a single-word synonym
用法筆記
Countable noun — you can say an abrasive, abrasives. Often modified by adjectives describing coarseness: fine, medium, coarse, mild, strong.