gnaw away at
phr. v..phr. v.. to slowly and steadily destroy something or make someone feel worried over a long time.
phr. v.. to erode or consume something gradually; figuratively, to cause persistent distress or anxiety that slowly undermines one's confidence or peace of mind.
Guilt began to gnaw away at him after the lie.
The constant criticism from his boss started to gnaw away at his self-esteem until he finally quit.
Rising inflation and stagnant wages continue to gnaw away at the purchasing power of middle-class families across the country.
- Particles
- away at
- Separability
- inseparable
- Pattern
- gnaw + away + at + object
usually followed by an abstract noun like 'confidence', 'guilt', or 'profits'.
connect the figurative meaning to the literal image of a rodent chewing on wood to help students visualize the slow, persistent nature of the destruction.
The doubt gnawed away him.The doubt gnawed away at him.the preposition 'at' is required to link the action to the object being affected.