scrapes
scrapes — noun
- scrapessingular
- scrapesesplural
1. A tricky or risky spot that a person lands in after doing something foolish or t
A tricky or risky spot that a person lands in after doing something foolish or thoughtless.
Bao got into a scrape at school when he climbed the roof to impress his friends.
collocation: get into a scrape
Salma's latest scrape involved taking her brother's car without permission and getting stopped by police.
The two boys laughed about their scrape with the neighbour whose fence they had broken.
Gabriel knew he was in a scrape when the vase crashed onto the stone floor.
- predicament
more formal; does not imply silliness
- mess
more common; can describe any disorganised trouble
- trouble
broader; does not always suggest self-caused difficulty
文法句型
scrape + with + noun
in a scrape
用法筆記
Usually appears with 'get into' or 'be in'. The situation is always one the person brought on themselves.
常見錯誤
2. A small mark or light wound on the skin that results from contacting a rough sur
A small mark or light wound on the skin that results from contacting a rough surface; also, the harsh noise that such contact creates.
Adisa cleaned the scrape on his knee with warm water and a clean cloth.
collocation: scrape on [body part]
Beatriz got a scrape on her arm when she fell off her bicycle onto gravel.
The van had a fresh scrape along the driver's door where it hit the stone wall.
From the kitchen Hoa heard the scrape of chairs being pushed back across the floor tiles.
- scratch
usually lighter damage; often from a sharp point
- grazed area
describes the injury but is less common
- abrasion
formal medical term
文法句型
scrape + on + body part
the scrape of + noun
用法筆記
When referring to an injury, it is less serious than a cut. When referring to a sound, it describes a harsh, dry rubbing noise.
常見錯誤
scrapes — verb
- scrapespresent simple I / you / we / they
- scrapeses3rd person singular
- scrapesing-ing form
- scrapesedpast simple
1. To use a blade or a rough object to take off an outer coating that you do not wa
To use a blade or a rough object to take off an outer coating that you do not want from a surface.
Imran carefully scraped the old paint off the window frame with a small knife.
pattern: scrape + object + off + noun
Théo scraped the burnt pieces of toast over the kitchen sink before buttering the bread.
Cole scraped the thick mud from his boots before stepping inside the house.
Tyler scraped ice off the car windscreen with a plastic scraper while the engine warmed.
Quinn scraped the old stickers off the suitcase with a spoon and some warm water.
- spread
to put a layer onto a surface
文法句型
scrape + object + off/from + noun
scrape + object + adjective
用法筆記
The object being removed is typically something unwanted (paint, mud, ice, stickers, food). The tool used is often a knife, scraper, or spoon.
常見錯誤
2. When something moves while pressing against a rough area, so that it suffers lig
When something moves while pressing against a rough area, so that it suffers light harm or makes a grating sound. You can also cause an object to do this to a surface.
A tree branch scraped against the bedroom window all night during the storm.
intransitive: scrape against [surface]
Bao scraped his elbow on the rough brick wall as he turned the narrow corner.
transitive: scrape + body part + on [surface]
Salma's heavy suitcase scraped along the concrete floor of the busy train station.
The old metal gate scraped loudly against the ground when Gabriel tried to push it open.
Nora scraped the bottom of her new shoes on the sharp edge of the kerb.
文法句型
scrape + object + against/on + noun
scrape + against/along/on + noun
用法筆記
This sense can be transitive (someone scrapes something) or intransitive (something scrapes). The result is usually minor damage or an unpleasant sound.
常見錯誤
3. To obtain or reach something despite major difficulty, succeeding only through g
To obtain or reach something despite major difficulty, succeeding only through great effort or with the narrowest possible gap.
Adisa just scraped through the final chemistry exam by two marks.
phrasal: scrape through (just barely succeed)
Beatriz scraped together enough money to buy a second-hand laptop for her online classes.
phrasal: scrape together (gather with effort)
The local football team scraped a narrow victory in the final minute of the match.
Hoa scraped a living by selling handmade cakes at the weekend market in town.
Imran scraped enough cash together to pay the rent for another month.
- barely manage
less figurative; states the difficulty directly
- squeak by
informal; specifically about just passing
- scrounge
similar for gathering money but suggests asking others
- achieve easily
opposite meaning; no difficulty involved
文法句型
scrape + adverb/preposition (through/by)
scrape + together/up + object
用法筆記
Common in phrases 'scrape through', 'scrape together', 'scrape up', and 'scrape a living'. The difficulty or narrow margin is always part of the meaning.
常見錯誤
4. To collect information from a website or online source automatically by using a
To collect information from a website or online source automatically by using a computer program.
Théo scraped the prices of all available flights from the airline booking website.
pattern: scrape + data + from + website
The company scraped customer reviews from several online shopping sites to study public opinion.
Cole wrote a short program to scrape daily weather data from government websites.
Tyler scraped product information from multiple online stores to compare prices for the report.
文法句型
scrape + object + from/off + noun
用法筆記
A technical computing term. Some websites have rules against scraping, so learners should check a site's terms of service before scraping data.