abrasive
a·bra·sive/əˈbɹeɪ.sɪv/adjective, noun
abrasive is spelled A-B-R-A-S-I-V-E: 8 letters and 3 syllables (a·bra·sive). It appears 1.7 times per million words in written English, the 21,798th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, abrasive means “Producing abrasion; rough enough to wear away the outer surface” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in abrasive?
| Letters | 8: A-B-R-A-S-I-V-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: a·bra·sive |
| In writing | 1.7 times per million words; the 21,798th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is abrasive?
Abrasive appears 1.7 times per million words in written English, the 21,798th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce abrasive?
- US /əˈbɹeɪ.sɪv/
- US /əˈbɹeɪ.zɪv/
Abrasive has 3 syllables, split a·bra·sive in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-abrasive.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-abrasive2.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with abrasive?
2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as abrasive from its last stressed vowel (/eɪsɪv/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of abrasive
- more abrasive comparative
- most abrasive superlative
- abrasives plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does abrasive mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Producing abrasion; rough enough to wear away the outer surface.
- 2
Being rough and coarse in manner or disposition; overly aggressive and causing irritation.
An abrasive person can grate on one's sensibilities.
noun
- 1
A hard inorganic substance or material consisting in powder or granule form such as sandpaper, pumice, or emery, used for cleaning, smoothing, or polishing.
- 2
Rock fragments, sand grains, mineral particles, used by water, wind, and ice to abrade a land surface.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Abrasive in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | abrasif , rude |
| German | abrasiv , schroff, rauh , Schleifmittel |
| Portuguese | abrasivo |
| Spanish | abrasivo, alisador , brusco, irritante |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does abrasive come from?
Borrowed from Medieval Latin abrāsīvus.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).