🇬🇧 Abrasion meaning: English Vocabulary Flash Card

An abrasion is when the top layer of something gets rubbed or scraped off. It can happen to skin, like when you fall and scrape your knee, or to objects, like when a rock tumbles in a river and becomes smooth. Abrasion doesn’t usually mean something is cut or broken in half; it means the surface is worn down by rubbing, scratching, or grinding.

The book cover has abrasion marks that prove it was either well loved or used as a coaster for suspicious snacks.

My pajamas show knee abrasion from all the dramatic sliding I do when someone says, “Dinner’s ready!”

The hallway wall has random abrasion marks exactly at elbow height, proving my family cannot walk in a straight line.

After years of abrasion from socks, my favorite slippers now look like sad, fuzzy pancakes.

Real beaches are shaped by abrasion—waves roll rocks and sand together so much that sharp stones become smooth, like nature’s way of sanding down grumpy rocks.

She fell off her bike; gravel made a wet abrasion on her knee. The abrasion rubbed her jeans raw, then the fabric tore and left a second abrasion on skin and cloth. Her mother washed the abrasion, pressed a cloth, and kissed the small abrasion. The girl smiled, held her knee, and the bike waited.

This word is at the C2 level, which means it represents the highest mastery of English. It’s often used in specialized or highly formal contexts and helps you communicate with precision and subtlety, much like a native speaker.

Expanding your English vocabulary is one of the best ways to improve your pronunciation, spelling, and confidence in English. Watch the video above to memorize the word, understand its meaning, and see example sentences in action. Discover related words to grow your vocabulary naturally. Add words to your playlist for stress-free, effective learning—anytime, anywhere! Watch, learn, repeat.