Definition of "abrasive" []

• Causing abrasion: scratched the stovetop with an abrasive cleanser. (adjective)
• Harsh and rough in manner: an unpleasant, abrasive personality. (adjective)
• A substance that abrades. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "She is trying hard not to be negative, although her supporters remain abrasive and insulting."
• "Ash can also cause long-term abrasive damage to planes that could lead to later disasters if not dealt with."
• "Remarkably for someone whose truly avant garde music has been described as abrasive, inaccessible, abyssal and suicidally dark "This isn't a funk session," he once cautioned a collaborator in the studio, Scott Walker personally projects an almost wholesome image and still speaks with a Midwestern accent after decades spent overseas; nevertheless, he speaks about his music and his goals for his music with unyielding focus and passion."