CHAFED Synonyms: 144 Similar and Opposite Words

chafed

verb

past tense of chafe

as in irritated

to make sore by continued rubbing ill-fitting boots that had badly chafed my heels

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in eroded

to damage or diminish by continued friction constant stepping on a rope will gradually chafe it, rendering it unsafe for rock climbing

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in annoyed

to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts nothing chafes us so much as those telemarketers who call during the dinner hour

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of chafed But a formal deal never materialized, especially as David chafed at possible rewrites that might make the dark comedy more marketable. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2026 Through it all, Nussbaum chafed at the circumscribed role of women. — Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026 They were married from 1976 to 1982, as Taylor chafed against the confines of being a politician’s wife following Warner’s election to the Senate in 1979. — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 28 Aug. 2026 Xi came to power after the 2008 protests in Tibet and deadly unrest in Xinjiang, another frontier region of modern China where ethnic minorities have long chafed under Beijing’s rule and witnessed a huge security crackdown. — CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026 But Engelbert often has chafed against the players of the league, especially over the last year amid a contentious collective bargaining period. — Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026 Although many workers chafed against the confines of office life, demand for these jobs only grew. — Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 23 July 2026 That’s proven irresistible to startups, and increasingly, large companies that have chafed at the control OpenAI and Anthropic hold over their own closed models, as well as the mounting cost of using AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude. — Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026 Some New Yorkers chafed at the security restrictions around a key transit hub on a holiday weekend, all during a heat wave. — ABC News, 11 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for chafed

Verb

Some develop in varicose veins; others form where a needle or IV has irritated a vein.

— Angela Haupt, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
The episode confused and irritated the Red Sox, and following Saturday’s win starting pitcher Sonny Gray acknowledged that Alexander’s antics had provided the club with extra motivation.

— Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of irritated

Verb

The killing drew national outrage and calls for accountability, becoming the latest in a string of incidents that has eroded trust in police in the small town.

— Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026
Chinese firms have been suffering from declining profit growth amid intense competition that has eroded margins and even invited the government to step in.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of eroded

Verb

That was the question that annoyed Steinbrenner, who is backing a system that would strip his team of a financial advantage while falling in line with other billionaire ballclub owners, who tend to vote as a unified bloc.

— Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
The innkeeper is annoyed that his wife wants more conversation.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of annoyed

Verb

But the divisive veteran Israeli leader has scratched, scraped and literally battled his way back during a stormy three-year period of nonstop domestic crises and wars across the region.

— Josef Federman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
Vaginal tissue very easily can get scratched and can bleed, depending on how smooth the wicker is.

— Rachel Handler, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of scratched

Verb

Ramaswamy wore what appeared to be a knock-off Ohio State jersey to the school’s home opener in August and took heat from Buckeyes fans in his X comments.

— Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 26 Oct. 2026
The two even wore jewelry and fake nails to really emulate PinkPantheress, 25, and Larsson, 28.

— Hedy Phillips, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of wore

Verb

And as the team moved into the couple’s guest house on their San Diego rental property, the filmmakers feared that the home was bugged and ordered a device to try to de-bug it, without success.

— Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
He’s bugged Jay — the two met online and married two years ago before opening their first restaurant last year — to make sure that includes his crispy duck panang curry.

— Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of bugged

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chafe

chafed

chafes

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Style

“Chafed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chafed. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of chafed

verb

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