gnaw

verb

gnawed; gnawing; gnaws

transitive verb

1
a
: to bite or chew on with the teeth
especially : to wear away by persistent biting or nibbling
a dog gnawing a bone
b
: to make by gnawing
rats gnawed a hole
2
a
: to be a source of vexation to : plague
anxiety always gnawing him
b
: to affect like gnawing
hunger gnawing her vitals
3

intransitive verb

1
: to bite or nibble persistently
gnawing at his underlip
2
: to produce an effect of or as if of gnawing
waves gnawing away at the cliffs
gnawer noun

Examples of gnaw in a Sentence

The dog was gnawing a bone. He nervously gnawed on his fingernails. Rabbits have gnawed at the hedge. Rabbits had gnawed a hole in the hedge.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Despite all of this, Musa felt a gnawing emptiness in his life. David Peisner, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2025 By highlighting Eunice’s role as a parent, Salles pushes viewers toward considering the mundanity of living under a dictatorship—and the gnawing nightmare of lacking control in the face of obvious evil. David Sims, The Atlantic, 21 Jan. 2025 During the pandemic, the soaring cost of essentials like food, fuel and rent only deepened the country's widespread precarity — a gnawing sense of financial insecurity that has left tens of millions of Americans vulnerable to job losses, medical problems and even modest economic dips. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 17 Jan. 2025 As Chubb’s career became defined by injuries, this move became a gnawing pain for Broncos Country, if not Elway. Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 8 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gnaw

Word History

Etymology

Middle English gnawen, from Old English gnagan; akin to Old High German gnagan to gnaw

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of gnaw was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gnaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gnaw. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

gnaw

verb
1
a
: to bite or chew with the teeth
especially : to wear away by repeated biting or nibbling
dog gnawing a bone
b
: to make by gnawing
rats gnawed a hole
2
a
: annoy, irritate
worry gnawed at me day and night
b
: to affect like gnawing
gnawing hunger
gnawer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on gnaw

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!