gnaw (away) at somebody/something phrasal verbphr v FRIGHTENEDWORRIEDto make someone feel worried or frightened, over a period of time 使烦恼，折磨 Something was gnawing at the back of his mind. 有些事情使他心神不安。
Doubt was gnawing away at her confidence. 怀疑渐渐吞噬了她的信心。
gnaw (away) at • A guilty pain began gnawing at her chest.• Deep in the interstices of daily life, no doubt, frustrations gnawed at him and resentments festered.• The lack of answers gnaws at me.• The reality of reengineering has begun to gnaw away at those who had earnestly embraced this newest form of management self-improvement.
→ gnaw (away) at somebody/something at gnaw(1)