Word.ws English Dictionary

setting someone's teeth on edge

setting someone's teeth on edge is the present participle and gerund of set someone's teeth on edge.

Meaning of set someone's teeth on edge

Verb

set someone's teeth on edge (third-person singular simple present sets someone's teeth on edge, present participle setting someone's teeth on edge, simple past and past participle set someone's teeth on edge)

  1. To irritate or strike as unpleasant.
    • I can't stand his squeaky voice. It always sets my teeth on edge.
  2. To cause a disagreeable tingling sensation in one's teeth, as when acids are brought into contact with them.
    • For sounds, we see that the grating of a law, or any very harsh noise, will set the teeth on edge, and make all the body shiver1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “VIII. Century.”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for...

Questions about setting someone's teeth on edge

What is setting someone's teeth on edge the present participle and gerund of?
Setting someone's teeth on edge is the present participle and gerund of set someone's teeth on edge.

Words near setting someone's teeth on edge in the dictionary

  1. setting rule
  2. setting rules
  3. setting sail
  4. setting sails
  5. setting sights
  6. setting someone's teeth on edge
  7. setting store by
  8. setting straight
  9. setting the ball rolling
  10. setting the bar
  11. setting the cat among the pigeons

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: setting someone's teeth on edge (page history and authors); set someone's teeth on edge (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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