Gnashings

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈnæʃɪŋz/

Definitions

1. Grinding one's teeth together in anger or frustration
2. the act of exhibiting intense emotional distress through the clenching of the jaw
3. producing a harsh, grating sound as a manifestation of displeasure or rage

Etymology: Gnashings is simply the plural of "gnashing," the noun that describes the grinding of teeth, usually in anger, pain or distress. The plural is most familiar from the biblical phrase "weeping and gnashing of teeth," which appears in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, and the word is most often met in that fixed expression. The plural form matters here because the noun is built from the verb "gnash," a word that has been in English since Middle English and that imitates the harsh, grating sound of teeth pressing together. Speakers and writers use the plural when they mean repeated or prolonged episodes of that grinding, or when they gather several grinding fits into one picture of despair.

Synonyms: grinding, clenching, gritting, scraping, crunching

Antonyms: relaxing, loosening