smarting

USSMART-ing/ˈsmɑɹtɪŋ/UKSMAHT-ing/ˈsmɑːtɪŋ/

Noun pluralsmartings

4 meanings of smarting

1
adjective
Sore and stinging, the way a fresh scrape or cut feels.
Like the sting you feel right after a scrape.
He pressed a cold cloth to his smarting cheek.
She blinked her smarting eyes against the harsh wind.
Similarpainful, sore, aching, tender, raw
2
verb
Present participle of smart. Use it for something causing a sharp stinging pain right now.
The wound was smarting as the nurse cleaned it.
His eyes kept smarting from the chlorine in the pool.
Note
3
adjectivefiguratively
Feeling hurt or upset after something embarrassing or unkind.
Like a bruise on the inside that still hurts when touched.
Still smarting from the insult, she left the party early.
His pride was smarting for days after the public correction.
Similarpained, ashamed
Oppositeunfazed, unbothered, untroubled, unruffled
Note
4
nouncountable or uncountable
A sharp, stinging, sore feeling.
Cold water helped calm the smarting from her sunburn.
The smarting in his scraped knee slowly eased.
Similarstinging, sting, burning, soreness, tingling
Note

smarting is a form of smart

smart, verb: To feel a sharp pain, or to suffer because of something bad. Full entry

Forms: smartsmarts he/she/itsmarting -ing formsmarted past tense, past participle
Spelling: smart → smarting: add -ing

Practice

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Origin

From an old English word meaning "smarting" or "itching." It comes from "smart" plus "-ing."