Grating
/ˈɡreɪtɪŋ/
adjectivenounverbB2present participle
Definition
As an adjective, "grating" means a sound that is rough and unpleasant to hear, like nails on a chalkboard. As a noun, it is a metal frame with bars placed over windows or drains. As a verb form (present participle of "grate"), it means to rub food against a rough surface to make small pieces.
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See It in Action
Harsh, unpleasant sound (adjective)
- •The grating noise of the brakes made everyone uncomfortable.
- •Her voice was grating after she shouted for a long time.
- •The sound of metal scraping on metal is very grating.
Metal frame with bars (noun)
- •The drain was covered by a heavy metal grating.
- •They installed a grating over the window for security.
- •Leaves and trash got stuck in the grating on the street.
To rub food on a rough surface (verb, present participle)
- •She was grating cheese for the pasta.
- •He is grating carrots to add to the salad.
- •Grating the lemon peel adds flavor to the recipe.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "grating" like "loud" (A1 word), but not just loud—annoying and sharp, like a bad noise that makes you uncomfortable
- ✓Picture the sound of chalk scratching on a blackboard or a fork scraping a plate—this is a grating noise
- ✓It's the feeling when a sound makes you want to cover your ears or when something annoys you deeply
- ✓Sounds like "GREAT-ing" but imagine it as a "GREAT" big noise that hurts your ears instead of pleasing them
- ✓Imagine a metal grate on the street that covers a hole—strong bars that stop things from falling in
- ✓NOT like "soft" or "nice" sounds; grating sounds hurt or irritate your ears
- ✓As a verb, NOT like "cut" or "slice" which make big pieces—grating makes very small, thin pieces by rubbing
- ✓As a noun, NOT like a solid cover; a grating lets air or water pass through while blocking bigger things
Try Other Words
- •Harsh: strong, rough sound or feeling (Use when the unpleasantness is about roughness, not just irritation)
- •Irritating: causing discomfort or annoyance (Use when focusing on the feeling of being bothered)
- •Rubbing: the action of moving something back and forth on a surface (Use when describing the verb form related to food preparation)
- •Grid: metal bars arranged in a pattern (Use when describing the noun meaning of a metal frame)
Unboxing
- •Prefix/root/suffix: "grate" (to rub on a rough surface) + "-ing" (present participle suffix, also used to make adjectives)
- •Etymology: From Old French "grater," meaning to scratch or scrape
- •Historical development: Originally meant to scratch or scrape, later used for the sound made, and for metal bars covering openings
- •Modern usage: Used as adjective for harsh sounds, noun for metal frames, and verb for food preparation action
Reflect & Connect
•How does the feeling of hearing a grating sound affect your mood or concentration?
•Can something be grating in a way that is not a sound? How would you describe that?
Fill in the blanks
1.The grating sound of the alarm made everyone ___ awake immediately.
2.When someone’s voice is grating, it often makes others feel ___ or uncomfortable.
3.Unlike soft music, a grating noise usually ___ people’s ears.
4.She was grating cheese ___ the pasta sauce to make it tastier.
5.The metal grating on the window allowed air to ___ but kept people out.
6.After hearing the grating noise, he covered his ears to ___ the discomfort.
7.The grating texture of the food means it was ___ against a rough surface.