If we spend too much time together we end up getting on each other's nerves.
The telephone hadn't stopped ringing all morning and it was starting to grate on my nerves.
New idioms dictionary. 2014.
grate — [v1] shred, grind down abrade, bark, bray, file, fray, gall, mince, pound, pulverize, rasp, raze, rub, scrape, scratch, scuff, skin, triturate; concepts 186,215 grate [v2] irritate aggravate, annoy, burn, chafe, exasperate, fret, gall, get on… … New thesaurus
grate on someone's nerves — get/grate on (someone s) nerves informal to annoy someone, especially by doing something again and again. If we spend too much time together we end up getting on each other s nerves. The telephone hadn t stopped ringing all morning and it was… … New idioms dictionary
grate — I UK [ɡreɪt] / US verb Word forms grate : present tense I/you/we/they grate he/she/it grates present participle grating past tense grated past participle grated 1) [transitive] to rub cheese, vegetables, chocolate etc against a grater in order to … English dictionary
grate — I [[t]greɪt[/t]] n. v. grat•ed, grat•ing 1) bui a frame of metal bars for holding fuel when burning, as in a fireplace, furnace, or stove 2) bui a framework of parallel or crossed bars used as a partition, guard, cover, or the like; grating 3)… … From formal English to slang
grate — grate1 [ greıt ] verb 1. ) transitive to rub cheese, vegetables, or chocolate against a GRATER in order to cut them into small pieces: grated cheese 2. ) intransitive grate against/on to rub against something and make an unpleasant annoying sound … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
grate — grate1 grateless, adj. gratelike, adj. /grayt/, n., v., grated, grating. n. 1. a frame of metal bars for holding fuel when burning, as in a fireplace, furnace, or stove. 2. a framework of parallel or crossed bars, used as a partition, guard,… … Universalium
grate on — Synonyms and related words: chafe, exacerbate, fret, gall, grate, gravel, grit, irritate, jangle the nerves, jar on, lacerate the ear, offend the ear, provoke, put on edge, rasp, rend the ears, set on edge, split the ears, wrack the nerves … Moby Thesaurus
grate — I. verb (grated; grating) Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo French grater to scratch, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German krazzōn to scratch Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. archaic abrade 2. to reduce to small particles by… … New Collegiate Dictionary
grate — [greɪt] verb I 1) [T] to rub food against a GRATER in order to cut it into small pieces 2) [I] to rub against something and make an unpleasant annoying sound Her nails grated against the wall.[/ex] 3) [I] to have an annoying effect on someone His … Dictionary for writing and speaking English
grate — 1 noun (C) the metal bars and frame that hold the wood, coal etc in a fireplace 2 verb 1 (T) to rub cheese, fruit etc against a rough or sharp surface in order to break them into small pieces: grated carrot 2 (I) to make an unpleasant sound… … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
