abrasive
adjective/əˈbreɪsɪv/
/əˈbreɪsɪv/
- an abrasive substance is rough and can be used to clean a surface or to make it smooth
- abrasive kitchen cleaners
- Rub down with fine abrasive paper.
- The cleaner has a mildly abrasive action.
- (of a person or their manner) rude and unkind; acting in a way that may hurt other people’s feelings
- an abrasive style/tone/comment
- Throughout his career he was known for his abrasive manner.
Word Originmid 19th cent. (as a noun): from Latin abras- ‘abraded’, from the verb abradere, ‘to scrape’, + -ive.
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abrasive