grate
gb/ɡɹˈeɪt/ us/ɡɹˈeɪt/
B1
English
~ 9300
idegesít, az idegeire megy, reszel, csikorog, karistol, reszelősen hangzik, tűzrács, rostély, rács, csatornarács, lefolyórács
VERB
B2
1
idegesít
B1
Usage pattern:
to grate on [someone] / to grate on [someone's] nerves
His constant humming in the office really started to grate on me.
Az állandó dúdolása az irodában már nagyon kezdett idegesíteni.
The way she talks down to people would grate on anyone after a while.
Az, ahogy lekezelően beszél az emberekkel, egy idő után bárkinek az idegeire menne.
That high, sharp ringtone just grates on my nerves.
The teacher's sarcastic comments soon grated on the whole class.
It doesn't bother me at first, but after an hour it begins to grate on my nerves.
Learner examples
His loud chewing grates on me.
Idegesít, ahogy hangosan rág.
The noise from the street grates on my nerves every night.
Az utcai zaj minden este az idegeimre megy.
Her rude jokes grate on many people.
The singer’s voice grates on my ears.
After some time, his complaints grate on everyone.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "grate" with "great" in writing. Another mistake is to say *"grate someone"* instead of the natural pattern *"grate on someone"* or *"grate on someone's nerves"*.
Meaning
annoy or irritate someone
Collocations
grate on my nerves
|grate on me
|really begin to grate
|grate on the ear
|grate on the listener
Synonyms
annoy (More general and common; does not suggest the slow, repeated feeling as strongly.)
|
irritate (Slightly more formal; often used in similar situations, including medical contexts.)
|
get on someone's nerves (Informal phrase; very close in meaning, often stronger and more emotional.)
Antonyms
please (To make someone feel happy or satisfied, the opposite of causing annoyance.)
|
soothe (To make someone feel calmer and less annoyed or upset.)
Themes
emotions
|communication
|daily life
Definition
To make someone feel annoyed for some time, often because something is always unpleasant.
To annoy or irritate someone, especially in a slow, repeated, or continuous way.
VERB
B1
2
reszel
B1
Usage pattern:
to grate [food] / to grate [food] into [container]
Grate the cheese and sprinkle it over the pasta.
Reszeld le a sajtot, és szórd a tésztára.
She grated some fresh ginger into the soup.
Egy kis friss gyömbért reszelt a levesbe.
The recipe says to finely grate two carrots.
He quickly grated a clove of garlic into the pan.
Before serving, grate a little lemon zest on top.
Learner examples
Please grate the cheese for the pizza.
Kérlek, reszeld le a sajtot a pizzához.
I grate carrots for my salad every day.
Mindennap reszelek sárgarépát a salátámhoz.
She grated some chocolate onto the cake.
He is grating a big piece of cheese.
First, wash the potato and then grate it.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"cut the cheese small"* instead of the specific cooking verb "grate". Another mistake is using "grater" as a verb, as in *"grater the cheese"* instead of "grate the cheese".
Meaning
shred food with a grater
Collocations
grate cheese
|grate carrots
|finely grated
|coarsely grated
|grate some nutmeg
Synonyms
shred (To cut into long, thin pieces; not always done with a grater and pieces are usually larger.)
|
grind (To crush into powder or very small bits, often with a machine, rather than with a hand grater.)
Antonyms
slice (To cut into relatively large, flat pieces rather than many tiny bits.)
|
chop (To cut into small but still separate pieces, usually larger and less regular than grated pieces.)
Themes
cooking
|daily life
|food_drink
|daily_life
Definition
To rub food on a metal tool with small sharp holes to make very small pieces.
To rub food against a grater so that it is cut into very small, thin pieces.
VERB
B2
3
Usage pattern:
to grate against [something] / to grate on [surface] / [sound/voice] grates
The heavy chair legs grated on the tiled floor.
A nehéz szék lábai csikorogtak a járólapon.
We heard the gate grate against the stone path as the wind pushed it open.
Hallottuk, ahogy a szél kinyitotta a kaput, és az a kőösvényhez súrlódva csikorgott.
Her boots grated on the gravel as she walked down the driveway.
The rusty metal lid grated on the rim of the bin when he forced it open.
A harsh voice grated in the darkness, breaking the silence of the room.
Learner examples
The table grates on the floor when you move it.
Az asztal csikorog a padlón, amikor mozgatod.
The metal door grated as it opened.
A fémajtó csikorogva nyílt ki.
His boots grated on the stones.
The wheels grated on the rails.
The old gate grates every time I open it.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this sense with the emotional sense "grate on someone's nerves". In this physical/sound meaning, the object is usually a surface ("grate on the floor"), not a person.
Meaning
make harsh scraping sound
Collocations
grate against the floor
|grate on the pavement
|metal grating on metal
|chair legs grated
|a voice that grates
Synonyms
scrape (Very close in the physical sense, but more general; does not always focus on the noise.)
|
rasp (Emphasizes a rough, harsh sound, especially of a voice; somewhat more literary or technical.)
Antonyms
glide (To move smoothly and quietly, without the harsh, scraping sound implied by "grate".)
|
slide quietly (Describes smooth, near-silent movement, the opposite of noisy scraping.)
Themes
sounds
|physical actions
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To move something hard on another hard thing and make a loud, rough sound, or for a sound or voice to be rough like this.
To rub or move something hard against another hard surface so that it produces a harsh, unpleasant scraping sound; or for a voice or sound to have this harsh quality.
NOUN
B2
4
Usage pattern:
a [adjective] grate / logs on the grate
She stacked the logs neatly on the grate before lighting the fire.
Szépen felrakta a fahasábokat a tűzrácsra, mielőtt meggyújtotta a tüzet.
The old cast-iron grate was full of cold ashes.
A régi öntöttvas tűzrács tele volt kihűlt hamuval.
He knelt by the grate and blew gently to make the coals glow.
They had the grate replaced to make the fireplace safer.
A small pile of burned paper lay in the grate.
Learner examples
There are two big logs on the grate.
Két nagy fahasáb van a tűzrácson.
He puts coal on the grate every evening.
Minden este szenet rak a tűzrácsra.
The grate in the fireplace is very old.
She cleans the grate after the fire goes out.
The hot coals are still on the grate.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse "grate" with "grill" when talking about cooking; a fireplace grate is not for cooking food but for holding burning fuel.
Meaning
metal frame in a fireplace
Collocations
fireplace grate
|iron grate
|logs on the grate
|clean the grate
|ashes in the grate
Synonyms
fire basket (Mainly British; a similar metal frame in a fireplace, sometimes more decorative.)
Themes
home
|furniture
|housing
|daily_life
Definition
A metal frame with bars in a fireplace that holds wood or coal when you make a fire.
A metal frame made of bars that holds coal, wood, or other fuel in a fireplace or stove.
NOUN
B2
5
Usage pattern:
a [adjective] grate / a grate over [something]
Rainwater flowed quickly through the grate and into the drain.
Az esővíz gyorsan átfolyt a rácson, és a lefolyóba jutott.
She dropped her keys, and they slipped through a gap in the sewer grate.
Elejtette a kulcsait, és azok átcsúsztak a csatornarács egyik résén.
Steam rose from the metal grates in the city sidewalk.
A heavy iron grate covered the entrance to the tunnel.
Leaves were blocking the storm drain grate at the side of the road.
Learner examples
Water goes into the drain through the grate.
A víz a rácson át folyik a lefolyóba.
He stands on the metal grate at the bus stop.
A buszmegállónál a fémrácson áll.
The city workers clean the leaves from the grate.
There is a big grate over the hole.
She can see the water under the street grate.
Common mistake:
Learners may call this a "cover" or "lid" and not know the specific word "grate". Also, some confuse it with "grid", which is more general and not only for drains.
Meaning
metal cover of bars over opening
Collocations
drain grate
|sewer grate
|metal grate
|floor grate
|walkway grate
Synonyms
grille (A general word for a structure of bars; can be decorative or protective, not only for drains.)
|
grid (Any pattern of crossing lines; only sometimes used for physical metal covers like a grate.)
Themes
city
|infrastructure
|housing
|daily_life
Definition
A flat metal cover with many bars that sits over a hole or drain so people can walk on it and water can pass through.
A flat or slightly raised metal cover made of parallel or crossing bars, placed over a hole, drain, or other opening, often in streets or floors.
Grammar
Dictionary form
grate
IPA
GB/ɡɹˈeɪt/
US/ɡɹˈeɪt/
Syllables & stress
grate (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (grate)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: grate
- Plural: grates
Verb
- Base: grate
- 3rd Person Singular: grates
- Present Participle: grating
- Past: grated
Word family
Forms
grates
noun
grating
verb
grated
verb
Core family
grater
noun
Advanced or less common
gratingly
adverb
Expressions
grate cheese
1/ɡɹˈeɪt t͡ʃˈiz/
fixed phrase
shred cheese with a grater
To rub cheese on a grater so it becomes many small pieces.
Examples
- Could you grate some cheese for the pasta, please?
- She always grates the cheese fresh instead of buying it pre-shredded.
grate on [someone]
1/ɡɹˈeɪt ˈɔn sˈʌmwˌʌn/
phrasal verb
to repeatedly annoy someone
To make someone feel annoyed again and again, usually because something is always unpleasant.
Examples
- His arrogant tone really grates on me.
- The constant beeping from the machine grated on everyone in the office.
grate on someone's nerves
1/ɡɹˈeɪt ˈɔn sˈʌmwˌʌnz nˈɚvz/
idiom
annoy someone a lot
To make someone feel very annoyed or upset, especially when it continues for some time.
Examples
- The sound of that drill is really grating on my nerves.
- After a few hours, his constant complaining began to grate on her nerves.
grate on the ear
1/ɡɹˈeɪt ˈɔn ðə ˈɪɹ/
fixed phrase
sound very unpleasant
To sound very unpleasant or harsh when someone hears it.
Examples
- The cheap speakers produced a high, sharp tone that grated on the ear.
- That note is slightly off-key and really grates on the ear.