Phrasal verb
gnaw at
Definition
phrasal verb. to make you feel worried or unhappy for a long time.
phrasal verb. to cause persistent distress or anxiety; figuratively, to erode one's peace of mind through constant, repetitive worry.
Examples
“The secret began to gnaw at him.”
“Even though she apologized, the guilt continued to gnaw at her for weeks.”
“The suspicion that he had been betrayed began to gnaw at his confidence, eventually undermining his ability to lead the team effectively.”
Examples
simple
“The secret began to gnaw at him.”
contextual
“Even though she apologized, the guilt continued to gnaw at her for weeks.”
complex
“The suspicion that he had been betrayed began to gnaw at his confidence, eventually undermining his ability to lead the team effectively.”
Usage
usually takes an abstract noun like guilt, doubt, or worry as the subject or object.
Teaching tip
connect the figurative meaning to the literal action of a rodent chewing on something; this visual helps students understand the 'slow erosion' of one's mood.
Pitfall
The doubt gnawed him.
The doubt gnawed at him.
the preposition 'at' is essential to indicate the persistent, repetitive nature of the feeling.
Phrasal verb
Particles
at
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
gnaw + at + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/gnaw-at