scrape

/skreɪp/ (bre, ipa) · /skreɪp/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈskrāp/ (ame, mw)

scrape — verb

  • scrapepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • scrapeshe / she / it
  • scrapedpast simple
  • scraping-ing form

1. to press a sharp or rough tool firmly against a surface in order to push away di

1.動詞及物B1
釋義

to press a sharp or rough tool firmly against a surface in order to push away dirt, paint, food remains, or other unwanted material that is stuck to it

例句

Sayaka scraped the old paint off the wooden door before putting on a fresh coat.

pattern: scrape + [substance] + off + [surface]

Vinícius scraped the burnt rice from the bottom of the pot with a spoon.

同義詞
  • scrub

    uses a brush or cloth with rubbing motion rather than a sharp edge

  • scour

    implies vigorous, abrasive cleaning, often with a scouring pad or powder

  • shave

    removes a very thin layer, usually of wood, hair, or ice

反義詞
  • apply

    put a layer on rather than taking one off

  • spread

    cover a surface evenly with a substance

文法句型

scrape + [substance] + off/from/away + [surface]

用法筆記

The object of the verb can be either the material you remove ('scrape the paint') or the surface you clean ('scrape the door clean'). When the surface is the object, you often add an adjective like 'clean' or 'smooth': 'Scrape the knife clean before putting it away.'

常見錯誤

❌She scraped the butter off from the bread.
✅She scraped the butter off the bread.
💡The preposition 'off' already implies removal; 'from' is unnecessary.
❌He scraped the wall the old paper.
✅He scraped the old paper off the wall.
💡The material being removed must be stated between the verb and the surface.

2. to rub part of your body or an object against a rough or hard surface by acciden

2.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

to rub part of your body or an object against a rough or hard surface by accident, resulting in a minor wound, a visible mark, or a harsh grating sound

例句

Selim scraped his knee on the concrete pavement when he tripped over a loose stone.

pattern: scrape + [body part] + on + [rough surface]

The metal chair scraped against the tiled floor with a loud, unpleasant sound.

同義詞
  • scratch

    a lighter, thinner mark, often from a sharp point like a nail or thorn

  • graze

    specifically for skin injuries from a light rub against a rough surface

  • grate

    emphasizes the harsh, repetitive noise of rubbing

文法句型

scrape + [body part/object] + on/against/along + [surface]

scrape + against/along + [surface]

用法筆記

When the object is a body part, 'scrape' describes a shallow skin injury — less serious than a cut. When used intransitively (without an object), the focus is on the noise: 'The gate scraped as it opened.'

常見錯誤

❌I scraped against the wall my car.
✅I scraped my car against the wall.
💡The object being damaged comes right after 'scrape', before the prepositional phrase.
❌She scraped her finger with a knife and it was bleeding.
✅She cut her finger with a knife.
💡'Scrape' means rubbing against a rough surface; a knife causes a cut, not a scrape.

3. to succeed in obtaining or achieving something, especially money or a result, on

3.動詞不及物B2
釋義

to succeed in obtaining or achieving something, especially money or a result, only through great effort and by a very narrow margin

例句

Nadia could barely scrape enough money together to pay the rent after losing her job.

pattern: scrape + [amount] + together/up

The old bakery scraped a living by selling cheap bread to the neighbourhood.

pattern: scrape a living

同義詞
  • scrimp

    saving money by spending very little bit by bit; more about frugal living than obtaining a specific sum

  • eke out

    similar to 'scrape a living', but suggests making limited resources last longer

反義詞
  • splurge

    spend freely and generously, the opposite of gathering with difficulty

文法句型

scrape + [money/food/resources] + together/up

scrape + a living

用法筆記

Commonly used with 'together' or 'up' when referring to money or resources: 'scrape together £50'. For test results or sporting results, the verb is used directly: 'scrape a pass', 'scrape a win'. The phrasal verbs 'scrape by' and 'scrape through' carry the same idea of barely succeeding.

常見錯誤

❌I scraped the money from my wallet.
✅I scraped together the money from my wallet.
💡Without 'together' or 'up', the meaning shifts to the 'REMOVE LAYER' sense (taking money out with effort).

4. to use an automated software tool to extract large quantities of information fro

4.動詞及物B2
釋義

to use an automated software tool to extract large quantities of information from a website, web page, or other online source

例句

The research team scraped customer reviews from several shopping websites for their analysis.

pattern: scrape + [data] + from + [source]

Ilan wrote a short computer program to scrape job listings from company career pages.

同義詞
  • extract

    broader term; can be done manually or automatically

  • harvest

    often used in computing for collecting data across multiple sources

文法句型

scrape + [data/information] + from + [website/source]

用法筆記

This is a modern technical sense that emerged with the growth of online data. The noun form 'web scraping' or 'data scraping' is very common in computing contexts. Many websites prohibit scraping in their terms of service.

常見錯誤

❌He scraped the website for new articles every hour.' (when meaning 'checked' or 'refreshed')
✅He scraped data from the website every hour.
💡'Scrape' must refer to automated data extraction, not simply visiting or refreshing a page.

scrape — noun