scrape
scrape — verb
1. to press a sharp or rough tool firmly against a surface in order to push away di
to press a sharp or rough tool firmly against a surface in order to push away dirt, paint, food remains, or other unwanted material that is stuck to it
Sayaka scraped the old paint off the wooden door before putting on a fresh coat.
pattern: scrape + [substance] + off + [surface]
Vinícius scraped the burnt rice from the bottom of the pot with a spoon.
Nila scraped the mud off her boots with a stick before stepping inside the house.
Amir scraped the burnt cheese off the baking tray before washing it in the sink.
文法句型
scrape + [substance] + off/from/away + [surface]
用法筆記
The object of the verb can be either the material you remove ('scrape the paint') or the surface you clean ('scrape the door clean'). When the surface is the object, you often add an adjective like 'clean' or 'smooth': 'Scrape the knife clean before putting it away.'
常見錯誤
2. to rub part of your body or an object against a rough or hard surface by acciden
to rub part of your body or an object against a rough or hard surface by accident, resulting in a minor wound, a visible mark, or a harsh grating sound
Selim scraped his knee on the concrete pavement when he tripped over a loose stone.
pattern: scrape + [body part] + on + [rough surface]
The metal chair scraped against the tiled floor with a loud, unpleasant sound.
Folake scraped the side of her car against the garage wall while parking.
Branches scraped along the roof of the car as it drove under the low tree.
文法句型
scrape + [body part/object] + on/against/along + [surface]
scrape + against/along + [surface]
用法筆記
When the object is a body part, 'scrape' describes a shallow skin injury — less serious than a cut. When used intransitively (without an object), the focus is on the noise: 'The gate scraped as it opened.'
常見錯誤
3. to succeed in obtaining or achieving something, especially money or a result, on
to succeed in obtaining or achieving something, especially money or a result, only through great effort and by a very narrow margin
Nadia could barely scrape enough money together to pay the rent after losing her job.
pattern: scrape + [amount] + together/up
The old bakery scraped a living by selling cheap bread to the neighbourhood.
pattern: scrape a living
Otis managed to scrape a pass in his mathematics exam despite barely studying for it.
The team scraped a victory in the final seconds with a lucky goal.
- splurge
spend freely and generously, the opposite of gathering with difficulty
文法句型
scrape + [money/food/resources] + together/up
scrape + a living
用法筆記
Commonly used with 'together' or 'up' when referring to money or resources: 'scrape together £50'. For test results or sporting results, the verb is used directly: 'scrape a pass', 'scrape a win'. The phrasal verbs 'scrape by' and 'scrape through' carry the same idea of barely succeeding.
常見錯誤
4. to use an automated software tool to extract large quantities of information fro
to use an automated software tool to extract large quantities of information from a website, web page, or other online source
The research team scraped customer reviews from several shopping websites for their analysis.
pattern: scrape + [data] + from + [source]
Ilan wrote a short computer program to scrape job listings from company career pages.
Some companies scrape social media posts to study what people think about their products.
The data team scraped flight prices from airline websites every morning.
文法句型
scrape + [data/information] + from + [website/source]
用法筆記
This is a modern technical sense that emerged with the growth of online data. The noun form 'web scraping' or 'data scraping' is very common in computing contexts. Many websites prohibit scraping in their terms of service.
常見錯誤
scrape — noun
1. a mildly embarrassing or troublesome situation that someone creates for themselv
a mildly embarrassing or troublesome situation that someone creates for themselves through their own careless, foolish, or mischievous behaviour
Justin got into a scrape with the neighbours after accidentally breaking their garden fence.
pattern: get into a scrape (with + [someone])
The boys got into a scrape when their prank set off the school alarm.
Quinn got into scrapes at school — like flooding the science lab — but the teachers liked him anyway.
Nadia got into a scrape by replying-all to a sarcastic email about her boss.
- pickle
informal, similar meaning — 'in a pickle' suggests a messy, hard-to-solve situation
- predicament
more formal and more serious than a scrape; doesn't imply silliness
- fix
informal, interchangeable with scrape in many contexts
用法筆記
This sense is most commonly used in the fixed expression 'get into a scrape' or 'in a scrape'. It is slightly old-fashioned but still heard in British English. The scrape is caused by the person's own actions — not by bad luck. For situations caused by external factors, use 'predicament' or 'difficulty' instead.
常見錯誤
2. a small area of damaged skin or surface caused by rubbing against something roug
a small area of damaged skin or surface caused by rubbing against something rough, or the harsh noise that results when two surfaces rub together
Élise cleaned the scrape on her elbow carefully and put a fresh bandage over it.
pattern: a scrape on + [body part]
The old tabletop was covered in scratches and scrapes from years of daily use.
Quinn heard the loud scrape of chair legs on the wooden floor above.
There was a deep scrape on the car door where it touched a brick wall.
- scratch
a thinner, narrower mark; often from a sharp point rather than broad friction
- abrasion
the formal medical term for a scrape on the skin
- grazed skin
specifically describes skin that has been lightly scraped
用法筆記
As an injury, a scrape is less serious than a cut — it damages only the top layers of skin. When describing a mark on an object, 'scrape' and 'scratch' are often used interchangeably, though a scrape tends to be wider and more surface-level.