Chafe is a verb meaning “to rub in a hurtful way, to annoy, or to abrade”—or “to feel annoyed”:
The straps on her backpack chafed her shoulders.
She was chafed at how long she had to wait in line for her visa.
Chaff, in contrast, is a noun referring to any materials that are typically rubbed off of things, in particular, the natural coverings of seeds and grains, but possibly any kind of tiny worthless debris:
To separate the wheat from the chaff is a traditional saying in English which means “to separate the valuable parts from the worthless parts.”
In fact, the word chaff is most often used in this one saying, above; however, you are free to use it in other ways to describe something worthless:
His words are nothing but chaff; you can’t find any gold in them.
More Examples of How to Use "Chafe" in a Sentence
- The best way to prevent chafing is to avoid the things that cause it in the first place.
- Chafing can be caused by many things, including rubbing against something rough, wearing clothes that are too tight, or sitting in one position for too long.
- If you're wearing a bra that just chafes your skin, you might want to buy a different type of bra.
- If you do experience chafing, make sure to treat the affected area with care and give it time to heal.
- We chafed at having to work as hard as we did to get our jobs, but we were grateful for the money we were earning.
- The new roof chafed the paint, causing it to peel.
- I'm really chafed by the fact that she's gone and left us high and dry.
- The wind chafed his bare arms, even though he was outside for only 30 minutes.
More Examples of How to Use "Chaff" in a Sentence
- The chaff can also be removed by winnowing, which is blowing the lighter material away from the heavier grains.
- Chaff is often used as fodder for livestock, such as chickens, and can be fed to cows, sheep and horses.
- Chaff is a nuisance during harvest time because it gets into machinery and causes problems.
- It's important to remove chaff from grains before milling them into flour, because it can cause problems with the machinery.
- In the wind, chaff (metallic dust) can be a major nuisance, because it can interfere with aviation and navigation systems.
- Chaff can also be a fire hazard, so it's important to take precautions when using or disposing of it in any way.
- I tried to keep the chaff from blowing away, but the wind blew it all over.
- There was much excitement at the party, but there was also some chaffing.
- Sandra chaffed me for staying late, but I really need to make sure I get my bonus this year.
- Alas, I could not separate the wheat from the chaff.
- The weather was pleasant, and the flowers were blooming, but the ground was covered with a layer of chaff.