gnaw

Related to gnaw: gnaw away

gnaw (at) (someone's) vitals

To greatly or deeply trouble someone; to affect in someone an intense feeling of anguish or despair. Seeing the suffering of so many people overseas gnawed at her vitals day and night, so she decided to join the Red Cross so she could finally help in some way.
See also: gnaw

gnaw (away) at (someone or something)

1. To chew on something, often biting off small pieces. The dog is just gnawing away at his new bone, happy as can be.
2. To bother someone or cause them worry or trepidation. His critical comments are really gnawing at me today—I can't stop thinking about them.
See also: gnaw

gnaw on (someone or something)

1. To chew on something, often biting off small pieces. The dog is just gnawing on his new bone, happy as can be.
2. To bother someone or cause them worry or trepidation. His critical comments are really gnawing on me today—I can't stop thinking about them.
See also: gnaw, on
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

gnaw (away) at someone

Fig. to worry someone; to create constant anxiety in someone. The thought of catching some horrible disease gnawed away at her. A lot of guilt gnawed at him day and night.
See also: gnaw

gnaw (away) at someone or something

Lit. to chew at someone or something. I hear a mouse gnawing away at the wall. The mosquitoes are gnawing at me something awful.
See also: gnaw

gnaw on something

to chew on something. (Usually said of an animal.) The puppy has been gnawing on my slippers! This slipper has been gnawed on!
See also: gnaw, on
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

gnaw at

v.
1. To bite or chew on something, removing small pieces of it a bit at a time: The mice gnawed at the corner of the box until they had made a small hole in it.
2. To cause someone or something to have or feel persistent discomfort, anxiety, or guilt: His harsh criticism gnawed at me the rest of the day. Hunger was gnawing at my stomach.
See also: gnaw

gnaw away

v.
1. To bite or chew something a bit at a time: The fox gnawed the tough meat away first, and then bit into the bone.
2. To bite or chew on something repeatedly in order to grind it down or to remove small pieces from it a bit at a time: The kids gnawed away at the cobs of fresh corn. That dog will gnaw away at that bone until it gets to the marrow inside.
3. To cause someone or something to have or feel persistent discomfort, anxiety, or guilt: Dark thoughts gnawed away at my mind.
See also: away, gnaw

gnaw on

v.
1. To bite or chew on something, either without eating it or removing small pieces of it a bit at a time: The dog has been gnawing on that bone for days.
2. To cause someone or something to have or feel persistent discomfort, anxiety, or guilt: Unpleasant dreams gnawed on me all night and I couldn't sleep.
See also: gnaw, on
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • be in bad with (someone)
  • accompany (one) on a/(one's) journey
  • accompany on a journey
  • a stranger to (someone or something)
  • be out of (one's) league
  • be out of somebody's league
  • (one) puts (one's) pants on one leg at a time
  • bargain
  • bargain for (someone or something) with (someone)
  • brief (someone) about (someone or something)
References in periodicals archive
Some rodent species will gnaw wet bone in order to consume the contained soft tissues (Pokines et al.
The Small Scavenger Guild of Massachusetts
A chocolate bar gnawed by rodents at B&M Bargains' Speke warehouse
We've cleaned up after rodent problem - B&M
A GAS blast that killed a pensioner was caused after rats that gnawed through a lead pipe in her house.
Rats had gnawed gas pipes at blast house; HOLES CAUSED BY RODENTS FOUND AFTER FATAL EXPLOSION
Secondly provide all rodents with wood from fruit trees to gnaw on, making sure that the wood has not been treated with any pesticides.
Look out for the teeth!
Keywords: Gnaw marks, rodents, Ramp Creek, Rockford Limestone.
Rodent-gnawed carbonate rocks from Indiana
Examination of the skeletal material revealed damage to long bones including the humeri, consisting of splintered and abraded ends, rather than parallel gnaw marks commonly left by rodents.
Observations of predation on a juvenile blue jay, Cyanocitta cristata, by a fox squirrel, Sciurus niger
Our advice is: Don't - fire up the BBQ and gnaw on a hotdog instead.
splash OF COLOUR; Special Feature
When she unpacked the bar at home, she was horrified to find the packaging damaged and "gnaw marks" on the chocolate.
Bites & Mice! Store fined after rodent nibbled chocolate
The scientists trained the fish to gnaw on a little bead hanging on a filament in the water.
Fish prefer Bach while listening to music!
LITTLE more of the sexual Aperversion that was allowed to gnaw away at our society for decades was revealed yesterday.
Exposure too late for justice
It will gnaw away at them just as Geoff Hurst's controversial goal in the 1966 World Cup final has gnawed away at the Germans for 44 years.
Injustice can't hide their flaws
Now, they did not gnaw the peanut butter poised to snap their
And the Mice Made Marriage All Night
There is no military solution to the resentments and legitimate questions of justice that gnaw at the Holy Land.
What is it good for? Bombing Beirut will do absolutely nothing to solve the problems plaguing the Holy Land
It's bad enough having to gnaw on the inedible beef au jus and starchy carrot sticks while listening to blowhards like Bill Parcells, Pat Riley, and Phil Jackson gloat about their successes.
You Too Can Lose Millions!
The use of plastic trash containers represents no problem to rats that can gnaw through them with relative ease.
Does your building attract pests: structural tips to reduce problems