Skip to content
GREMockTests
GRE vocabulary

grating

adjectiveHigh-frequency wordMore G words

sounding harsh and unpleasant; irritating or annoying

Test your vocabulary in a real test Full-length · no signup · instant score
In a sentence

Grating in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing grating in a sentence.

His grating voice made even a brief conversation feel exhausting.

The lecturer's grating delivery, all squeaks and pauses, distracted students from an otherwise sound argument.

Synonyms
jarringraspingabrasiveirritating
Antonyms
soothingmelodiouspleasing
Usage & nuance

Using “grating” well

Grating describes a sound that is harsh and unpleasant, and by extension anything irritating to the senses or nerves. It conveys active annoyance, not mere loudness.

Common questions

Questions about “grating

Grating (adjective) means sounding harsh and unpleasant; irritating or annoying
Here is grating used in an example sentence: "His grating voice made even a brief conversation feel exhausting." Another example: "The lecturer's grating delivery, all squeaks and pauses, distracted students from an otherwise sound argument."
Common synonyms for grating include jarring, rasping, abrasive, irritating.
Antonyms of grating include soothing, melodious, pleasing.
Clusters with jarring, rasping, and abrasive, opposed by soothing, melodious, and pleasing. On the GRE it may describe a manner or voice, testing the figurative sense of irritating.
Yes. Grating is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

See these words the way the GRE tests them.

Definitions in isolation do not stick. Sit a free, full-length GRE mock and meet this vocabulary inside real text completion and sentence equivalence questions, with your score and a worked solution for every answer.