scrape

scrape — verb

1. to press a sharp or rough tool firmly against a surface in order to push away di

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

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

Example

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.

Common collocations
  • scrape off
  • scrape away
  • scrape clean
  • scrape the paint
  • scrape the mud
  • scrape the leftovers
Synonyms
  • scrub

    uses a brush or cloth with rubbing motion rather than a sharp edge

  • scour

    implies vigorous, abrasive cleaning, often with a scouring pad or powder

  • shave

    removes a very thin layer, usually of wood, hair, or ice

Antonyms
  • apply

    put a layer on rather than taking one off

  • spread

    cover a surface evenly with a substance

Grammar Patterns

scrape + [substance] + off/from/away + [surface]

Usage Note

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.'

Common Mistakes

She scraped the butter off from the bread.
She scraped the butter off the bread.
The preposition 'off' already implies removal; 'from' is unnecessary.
He scraped the wall the old paper.
He scraped the old paper off the wall.
The material being removed must be stated between the verb and the surface.

2. to rub part of your body or an object against a rough or hard surface by acciden

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

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

Example

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.

Common collocations
  • scrape your knee/elbow/arm
  • scrape against
  • scrape along
  • scrape the paint/plaster
  • scrape the side/bumper
Synonyms
  • scratch

    a lighter, thinner mark, often from a sharp point like a nail or thorn

  • graze

    specifically for skin injuries from a light rub against a rough surface

  • grate

    emphasizes the harsh, repetitive noise of rubbing

Grammar Patterns

scrape + [body part/object] + on/against/along + [surface]

scrape + against/along + [surface]

Usage Note

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.'

Common Mistakes

I scraped against the wall my car.
I scraped my car against the wall.
The object being damaged comes right after 'scrape', before the prepositional phrase.
She scraped her finger with a knife and it was bleeding.
She cut her finger with a knife.
'Scrape' means rubbing against a rough surface; a knife causes a cut, not a scrape.

3. to succeed in obtaining or achieving something, especially money or a result, on

3.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to succeed in obtaining or achieving something, especially money or a result, only through great effort and by a very narrow margin

Example

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

Common collocations
  • scrape together
  • scrape up
  • scrape a living
  • scrape a pass
  • scrape a win
  • scrape enough money
Synonyms
  • scrimp

    saving money by spending very little bit by bit; more about frugal living than obtaining a specific sum

  • eke out

    similar to 'scrape a living', but suggests making limited resources last longer

Antonyms
  • splurge

    spend freely and generously, the opposite of gathering with difficulty

Grammar Patterns

scrape + [money/food/resources] + together/up

scrape + a living

Usage Note

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.

Common Mistakes

I scraped the money from my wallet.
I scraped together the money from my wallet.
Without 'together' or 'up', the meaning shifts to the 'REMOVE LAYER' sense (taking money out with effort).

4. to use an automated software tool to extract large quantities of information fro

4.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to use an automated software tool to extract large quantities of information from a website, web page, or other online source

Example

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.

Common collocations
  • scrape data
  • scrape information
  • scrape content
  • web scraping
  • data scraping
  • scrape from a website
Synonyms
  • extract

    broader term; can be done manually or automatically

  • harvest

    often used in computing for collecting data across multiple sources

Grammar Patterns

scrape + [data/information] + from + [website/source]

Usage Note

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.

Common Mistakes

He scraped the website for new articles every hour.' (when meaning 'checked' or 'refreshed')
He scraped data from the website every hour.
'Scrape' must refer to automated data extraction, not simply visiting or refreshing a page.
Phrasal verbs

scrape by

phrasal verb

to manage to live or survive using only a very small amount of money or resources, often just enough to get by

During her student years, Nadia scraped by on part-time wages and instant noodles.

The family scraped by after the factory closed, taking any odd job they could find.

scrape through

phrasal verb

to barely succeed in passing a test, examination, or difficult situation, usually with the minimum required result

Brandon studied only the night before the test and scraped through by one mark.

The football team scraped through to the next round after a penalty shoot-out.

scrape in

phrasal verb

To succeed in entering or being accepted somewhere, but with great difficulty or by a very small margin.

Our team scraped in to the finals with a last-minute goal.

Did Diego scrape in to the university with his low grades?

scrape into

phrasal verb

To manage to get a place in something, such as a school or team, with difficulty.

Sara scraped into the advanced math class by one point.

He scraped into the basketball team after the final tryout.

scrape out

phrasal verb

To remove something from inside a container by using a tool or your fingers.

Min scraped out the last bit of peanut butter from the jar.

Can you scrape out the seeds from the pumpkin?

scrape together

phrasal verb

To collect or obtain something, especially money, with difficulty from various sources.

Aiden scraped together enough cash to buy a used car.

They scraped together the funds for a short vacation.

scrape up

phrasal verb

To gather or collect something, especially money, with effort from various places.

Brian scraped up the change from his pockets to pay the fee.

We scraped up enough volunteers to clean the park.

Idioms

scrape (the bottom of) the barrel

idiom

to be forced to use people or things of the lowest possible quality because there is nothing better available

With all the senior staff on holiday, the manager was scraping the bottom of the barrel for anyone who could fill in.

After the IT budget was cut and three printers broke down, using that old one felt like scraping the bottom of the barrel.

bow and scrape

idiom

To behave in a very humble and obedient way toward someone in authority to get their approval.

The new intern bowed and scraped before the CEO every morning.

Maya refused to bow and scrape just to get a promotion.

scrape — noun

Word family

  • scraper
    nounB2
  • scraping
    nounB1
  • scraped
    adjectiveB2
  • scrappy
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/2

Scrape, scratch, graze, grate, and scuff all describe surface damage or noise from friction, but they differ in how the damage happens and what it looks like. Scrape is the broadest term: it can describe a skin injury from a fall ('a scrape on the knee'), a mark on an object ('a scrape on the car door'), or a harsh noise ('the scrape of a shovel on concrete'). Scratch is narrower in shape — a thin, sharp line, usually from a pointed object like a nail, thorn, or cat claw. Graze is reserved for skin: a light, shallow rub that barely breaks the surface, like when your arm brushes a rough wall. Grate emphasizes the sound side — a rough, repeated, teeth-grinding noise of two hard surfaces rubbing together, such as metal against stone. Scuff applies to shoes or floors: a shallow mark left by dragging or rubbing footwear. For example: 'She scraped her knee on the pavement' (general), 'A cat scratch on the sofa' (thin line), 'He grazed his elbow against the fence' (light skin rub), 'The metal gate grated against the concrete' (sound-focused), and 'The new shoes were already scuffed after one walk.'

scratch ↗grazegrate ↗scuff

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Old NorseEnglish

The word 'scrape' comes from Old Norse 'skrapa', meaning 'to scrape, scratch, or erase', which entered English around the 13th century. Its relatives appear across Germanic languages: Old English 'scearpian' (related to 'sharp'), Old High German 'scrapon', and modern German 'schrappen'. The original sense was literally about using a sharp tool to remove a layer — a meaning that has remained central for over 700 years. The figurative sense of 'getting into a scrape' (a troublesome situation) appeared in the 1500s, possibly from the idea of a person being 'scraped' or scoured by trouble. The computing sense of web scraping emerged in the late 1990s as the internet expanded.