Against The Grain

B2 8+

Pronunciation: /əˈɡɛnst ðə ɡreɪn/

Definitions of against the grain

noun a phrase that refers to something going in a different direction or contrary to the usual or expected way

Example Sentences

A1 Going against the grain is not always easy.

A2 She decided to go against the grain and start her own business.

B1 His decision to pursue a career in art went against the grain of his family's expectations.

B2 The company's innovative approach to marketing went against the grain of traditional strategies.

C1 The artist's work is often seen as going against the grain of mainstream art trends.

C2 Her unconventional methods in the laboratory went against the grain of established scientific practices.

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

Example Sentences

A1 She always swims against the grain and does things her own way.

A2 The student went against the grain by challenging the traditional teaching methods.

B1 The company's decision to focus on sustainability goes against the grain of industry norms.

B2 His unconventional approach to problem-solving often goes against the grain, but it yields results.

C1 The artist's work is known for going against the grain of traditional artistic conventions.

C2 The politician's controversial policies went against the grain of public opinion, but he stood by his beliefs.

Examples of against the grain in a Sentence

formal The artist's unique style goes against the grain of traditional techniques.

informal She always does things against the grain, never following the crowd.

slang He's a rebel, always going against the grain and doing his own thing.

figurative Despite the criticism, she continued to swim against the grain and pursue her dreams.

Grammatical Forms of against the grain

past tense

went against the grain

plural

against the grains

comparative

more against the grain

superlative

most against the grain

present tense

goes against the grain

future tense

will go against the grain

perfect tense

has gone against the grain

continuous tense

is going against the grain

singular

against the grain

positive degree

against the grain

infinitive

to go against the grain

gerund

going against the grain

participle

gone against the grain

Origin and Evolution of against the grain

First Known Use: 1601 year
Language of Origin: English
Story behind the word: The phrase 'against the grain' originated from the practice of woodworking, where cutting against the natural direction of the wood grain was considered more difficult and unconventional.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the phrase 'against the grain' has evolved to mean going against the usual way of doing things or opposing popular opinion.