ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary BuilderWordsCchafe
ISEE/SSAThard
chafe
Meaning: to feel irritated or impatient under a restriction
chafe in a sentence
How chafe is used in real sentences:
The ambitious deputy began to chafe under the director's constant supervision.
Residents chafed under the strict curfew imposed after the storm.
“Directors chafed under the audit’s restrictions, complaining that frozen accounts prevented ordinary business and demanding a quick declaration of innocence.”
— from the passage The Threads in the Ledger
Synonyms for chafe
Other words for chafe — resent, bristle and fret — carry the same meaning.
- resent
- bristle
- fret
Antonyms of chafe
Words that mean the opposite of chafe:
- accept
- tolerate
- acquiesce
Where it comes from
From Old French chaufer, meaning 'to heat or rub.'
Memory hook
CHAFE sounds like 'chain': people chafe when a rule feels like a chain.