gnaw

G0166100 (nô)v. gnawed, gnaw·ing, gnaws v.tr.1. a. To bite, chew on, or erode with the teeth.b. To produce by gnawing: gnaw a hole.c. To erode or diminish gradually as if by gnawing: waves gnawing the rocky shore.2. To afflict or worry persistently: fear that constantly gnawed me.v.intr.1. To bite or chew persistently: The dog gnawed at the bone.2. To cause erosion or gradual diminishment.3. To cause persistent worry or pain: Hunger gnawed at the prisoners.

[Middle English gnauen, from Old English gnagan.]

gnaw′er n.

gnaw

(nɔː) vb, gnaws, gnawing, gnawed, gnawed or gnawn (nɔːn) 1. (when: intr, often foll by at or upon) to bite (at) or chew (upon) constantly so as to wear away little by little2. (tr) to form by gnawing: to gnaw a hole. 3. to cause erosion of (something)4. (when: intr, often foll by at) to cause constant distress or anxiety (to)nthe act or an instance of gnawing[Old English gnagan; related to Old Norse gnaga, Old High German gnagan] ˈgnawable adj ˈgnawer n ˈgnawing adj, n ˈgnawingly adv

gnaw

(nɔ)

v.t. 1. to bite or chew on, esp. persistently: The kitten gnawed the slippers. 2. to wear away or remove by persistent biting. 3. to form by gnawing: to gnaw a hole. 4. to waste or wear away. 5. to trouble or torment by constant annoyance; vex; plague. v.i. 6. to bite or chew persistently. 7. to cause corrosion. 8. to cause an effect resembling corrosion: Her mistake gnawed at her conscience. [before 1000; Middle English; Old English gnagen, c. Old Saxon gnagan, Old High German (g)nagan, Old Norse gnaga] gnaw′a•ble, adj. gnaw′er, n.

gnaw

Past participle: gnawed/gnawn
Gerund: gnawing

Imperative
gnaw
gnaw

Present
I gnaw
you gnaw
he/she/it gnaws
we gnaw
you gnaw
they gnaw

Preterite
I gnawed
you gnawed
he/she/it gnawed
we gnawed
you gnawed
they gnawed

Present Continuous
I am gnawing
you are gnawing
he/she/it is gnawing
we are gnawing
you are gnawing
they are gnawing

Present Perfect
I have gnawed/gnawn
you have gnawed/gnawn
he/she/it has gnawed/gnawn
we have gnawed/gnawn
you have gnawed/gnawn
they have gnawed/gnawn

Past Continuous
I was gnawing
you were gnawing
he/she/it was gnawing
we were gnawing
you were gnawing
they were gnawing

Past Perfect
I had gnawed/gnawn
you had gnawed/gnawn
he/she/it had gnawed/gnawn
we had gnawed/gnawn
you had gnawed/gnawn
they had gnawed/gnawn

Future
I will gnaw
you will gnaw
he/she/it will gnaw
we will gnaw
you will gnaw
they will gnaw

Future Perfect
I will have gnawed/gnawn
you will have gnawed/gnawn
he/she/it will have gnawed/gnawn
we will have gnawed/gnawn
you will have gnawed/gnawn
they will have gnawed/gnawn

Future Continuous
I will be gnawing
you will be gnawing
he/she/it will be gnawing
we will be gnawing
you will be gnawing
they will be gnawing

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been gnawing
you have been gnawing
he/she/it has been gnawing
we have been gnawing
you have been gnawing
they have been gnawing

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been gnawing
you will have been gnawing
he/she/it will have been gnawing
we will have been gnawing
you will have been gnawing
they will have been gnawing

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been gnawing
you had been gnawing
he/she/it had been gnawing
we had been gnawing
you had been gnawing
they had been gnawing

Conditional
I would gnaw
you would gnaw
he/she/it would gnaw
we would gnaw
you would gnaw
they would gnaw

Past Conditional
I would have gnawed/gnawn
you would have gnawed/gnawn
he/she/it would have gnawed/gnawn
we would have gnawed/gnawn
you would have gnawed/gnawn
they would have gnawed/gnawn

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	gnaw - bite or chew on with the teeth; "gnaw an old cracker"chew, manducate, masticate, jaw - chew (food); to bite and grind with the teeth; "He jawed his bubble gum"; "Chew your food and don't swallow it!"; "The cows were masticating the grass"bite, seize with teeth - to grip, cut off, or tear with or as if with the teeth or jaws; "Gunny invariably tried to bite her"
	2.	gnaw - become ground down or deteriorate; "Her confidence eroded"eat at, erode, gnaw at, wear awaydecay, dilapidate, crumble - fall into decay or ruin; "The unoccupied house started to decay"

gnaw

verb1. bite, chew, nibble, munch Woodlice attack living plants and gnaw at the stems.2. distress, worry, trouble, harry, haunt, plague, nag, fret Doubts were already gnawing away at the back of his mind.3. erode, consume, devour, eat away or into, wear away or down This run of bad luck has gnawed away at his usually optimistic character.

gnaw

verb1. To seize, as food, with the teeth:bite, champ, chomp, gnash.2. To consume gradually, as by chemical reaction or friction:bite, corrode, eat, erode, wear, wear away.

Translations

啃

gnaw

(noː) verb to bite or chew with a scraping movement. The dog was gnawing a large bone; The mice have gnawed holes in the walls of this room.啃gnawing adjective annoying; disturbing. a gnawing problem. 令人讨厌的，烦扰的

gnaw

gnaw (at) (someone's) vitals

To greatly or deeply trouble someone; to affect in someone an intense feeling of anguish or despair. Seeing the suffering of so many people overseas gnawed at her vitals day and night, so she decided to join the Red Cross so she could finally help in some way.See also: gnaw

gnaw (away) at (someone or something)

1. To chew on something, often biting off small pieces. The dog is just gnawing away at his new bone, happy as can be.2. To bother someone or cause them worry or trepidation. His critical comments are really gnawing at me today—I can't stop thinking about them.See also: gnaw

gnaw on (someone or something)

1. To chew on something, often biting off small pieces. The dog is just gnawing on his new bone, happy as can be.2. To bother someone or cause them worry or trepidation. His critical comments are really gnawing on me today—I can't stop thinking about them.See also: gnaw, on

gnaw (away) at someone

Fig. to worry someone; to create constant anxiety in someone. The thought of catching some horrible disease gnawed away at her. A lot of guilt gnawed at him day and night.See also: gnaw

gnaw (away) at someone or something

Lit. to chew at someone or something. I hear a mouse gnawing away at the wall. The mosquitoes are gnawing at me something awful.See also: gnaw

gnaw on something

to chew on something. (Usually said of an animal.) The puppy has been gnawing on my slippers! This slipper has been gnawed on!See also: gnaw, on

gnaw at

v.1. To bite or chew on something, removing small pieces of it a bit at a time: The mice gnawed at the corner of the box until they had made a small hole in it.2. To cause someone or something to have or feel persistent discomfort, anxiety, or guilt: His harsh criticism gnawed at me the rest of the day. Hunger was gnawing at my stomach.See also: gnaw

gnaw away

v.1. To bite or chew something a bit at a time: The fox gnawed the tough meat away first, and then bit into the bone.2. To bite or chew on something repeatedly in order to grind it down or to remove small pieces from it a bit at a time: The kids gnawed away at the cobs of fresh corn. That dog will gnaw away at that bone until it gets to the marrow inside.3. To cause someone or something to have or feel persistent discomfort, anxiety, or guilt: Dark thoughts gnawed away at my mind.See also: away, gnaw

gnaw on

v.1. To bite or chew on something, either without eating it or removing small pieces of it a bit at a time: The dog has been gnawing on that bone for days.2. To cause someone or something to have or feel persistent discomfort, anxiety, or guilt: Unpleasant dreams gnawed on me all night and I couldn't sleep.See also: gnaw, on

gnaw

gnaw

gnaw

gnaw

gnaw

gnaw

gnaw

gnaw

gnaw

gnaw (at) (someone's) vitals

gnaw (away) at (someone or something)

gnaw on (someone or something)

gnaw (away) at someone

gnaw (away) at someone or something

gnaw on something

gnaw at

gnaw away

gnaw on

GNAW

gnaw

Synonyms for gnaw

verb bite

Synonyms

verb distress

Synonyms

verb erode

Synonyms

Synonyms for gnaw

verb to seize, as food, with the teeth

Synonyms

verb to consume gradually, as by chemical reaction or friction

Synonyms

Synonyms for gnaw

verb bite or chew on with the teeth

Related Words

verb become ground down or deteriorate

Synonyms

Related Words