Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Showing results for abrasive. Search instead for abraspelte.
Definitions

abrasive

[uh-brey-siv, -ziv] / əˈbreɪ sɪv, -zɪv /


NOUN
substance for polishing
Synonyms
STRONGEST
STRONG


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They often abandon traditional pop music structures, they don’t shy away from abrasive arrangements, and Ayewa’s lyricism speaks directly to the soul.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

Sparkling and rebarbative, abrasive and relentlessly performative, it is, in other words, classic Will Self.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Before taking time off, the band had settled into making sleek, shimmery retro-disco tracks like Dynamite and Butter - designed to appeal to the sort of listener who finds Bruno Mars too crass and abrasive.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

When I go back, I forget how strong the sound of the airplanes are, how abrasive and all-encompassing.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 27, 2026

Born in Bulgaria and raised in Switzerland, Zwicky came to the California Institute of Technology in the 1920s and there at once distinguished himself by his abrasive personality and erratic talents.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson




Vocabulary lists containing abrasive