variants
or smoulder
smoldered or smouldered; smoldering or smouldering
ˈsmōl-d(ə-)riŋ 
1
a
: to burn sluggishly, without flame, and often with much smoke
b
: to be consumed by smoldering
—often used with out
2
: to exist in a state of suppressed activity
hostilities smoldered for years
3
: to show suppressed anger, hate, or jealousy
eyes smoldering with hate
Examples of smolder in a Sentence
The remains of the campfire smoldered.
Her eyes smoldered with anger.
Anger smoldered in my heart.
Recent Examples on the Web
Dressed in a traditional-looking headpiece at what appears to be an after-hours bonfire celebration, the star makes smoldering eye contact with someone offscreen while giving a sly smile.
—
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 16 Dec. 2024
Volcanic materials—including smoldering rocks, lava, and hot, thumb-sized gravel and ash—were ejected up to 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the crater on November 8, according to Hadi Wijaya.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
The building was still smoldering when France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, promised to reopen it in five years.
—Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2024
The music moves from inventive, engaging art song to smoldering improvisations in which Wilkins and his bandmates—anchored by his regular colleagues Micah Thomas on piano, Rick Rosato on bass and Kweku Sumbry on drums—push to the outer limits.
—Steve Hochman, SPIN, 21 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for smolder 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 16 Dec. 2024
Volcanic materials—including smoldering rocks, lava, and hot, thumb-sized gravel and ash—were ejected up to 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the crater on November 8, according to Hadi Wijaya.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
The building was still smoldering when France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, promised to reopen it in five years.
—Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2024
The music moves from inventive, engaging art song to smoldering improvisations in which Wilkins and his bandmates—anchored by his regular colleagues Micah Thomas on piano, Rick Rosato on bass and Kweku Sumbry on drums—push to the outer limits.
—Steve Hochman, SPIN, 21 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for smolder
Dictionary Entries Near smolder
Cite this Entry
“Smolder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smolder. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share