Gratingly

Adverb describing something that causes irritation, annoyance, or displeasure, often through a harsh or jarring quality. It suggests a sensory experience (sound, texture, sight, etc.) that is unpleasant and produces a feeling of unease or displeasure. The effect can be gradual or immediate, and often stems from a persistent, repetitive, or overly loud/harsh characteristic. It focuses on the listener or observers' experience, conveying the uncomfortable impact of the stimulus. The experience is often linked to an emotional or physiological response.

Gratingly meaning with examples

• The rusty door hinge creaked gratingly every time he entered the old house, the sound amplifying the silence that followed. Its repetitive nature heightened the tension he already felt from what awaited him inside, he considered oiling the hinges but never seemed to get around to it.
• Her high-pitched laughter, especially during serious conversations, chimed gratingly in the otherwise quiet office, disrupting focus and breeding frustration. The staff knew they couldn't comment on her lack of awareness. Their faces would often turn with suppressed irritation.
• The fluorescent lights in the classroom hummed gratingly, creating a constant buzz that made it difficult to concentrate, particularly during longer sessions. The flickering also began to cause eye strain, eventually leading to headaches and fatigue. He often considered changing classrooms.
• The coarse wool of the sweater brushed gratingly against her skin, leaving her constantly squirming and distracting her from what was important. She longed to take it off, however, the cold temperatures would have quickly driven the chill into her bones.
• The incessant dripping of the leaky faucet echoed gratingly throughout the night, preventing him from falling asleep. Each rhythmic plink amplified his exhaustion, and he knew if he didn't get some sleep, it would have negative impacts on the work he did the next day.