Gnaw

1. (v. t.) To bite, as something hard or tough, which is not readily separated or crushed; to bite off little by little, with effort; to wear or eat away by scraping or continuous biting with the teeth; to nibble at.

2. (v. t.) To bite in agony or rage.

3. (v. t.) To corrode; to fret away; to waste.

4. (v. i.) To use the teeth in biting; to bite with repeated effort, as in eating or removing with the teeth something hard, unwieldy, or unmanageable.

Thesaurus Entries

ablate, abrade, abrase, afflict, agonize, ail, annoy, badger, bark, bedevil, beleaguer, bite, bother, burn, canker, chafe, champ, chaw, chew, chew the cud, chew up, chomp, consume, convulse, corrode, crucify, crumble, cut, devour, distress, eat, eat away, eat into, erase, erode, excruciate, fester, file, fray, frazzle, fret, gall, give pain, gnash, gnaw away, grate, graze, grind, gripe, gum, harass, harrow, harry, haunt, hector, hurt, inflame, inflict pain, irk, irritate, kill by inches, lacerate, martyr, martyrize, masticate, mouth, mumble, munch, nag, nettle, nibble, nibble away, nip, oxidize, pain, peeve, pester, pierce, pinch, plague, prick, prolong the agony, put to torture, rack, rankle, rasp, raze, rub, rub away, rub off, rub out, ruminate, rust, scour, scrape, scrub, scuff, skin, stab, sting, tease, torment, torture, trouble, tweak, twist, vex, wear, wear away, wear down, worry, wound, wring