as in biting
causing intense discomfort to one's skin
we had to press on, despite the smarting sleet that was blowing in our faces
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in aching
to feel or cause physical pain
the injection only smarted for a moment
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in ache
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smarting
Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2025
Noun
But DeSantis is still smarting after Donalds backed Trump over him in the last Republican presidential primary.
—Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smarting
Adjective
-
The characters have this sharp, biting, British humor.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
28 Aug. 2025
-
There’s Bud the biting cat, played by a feline named Tonic and who deserves a three-picture deal.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Korean maestro Park Chan-wook’s wildly inventive black comedy No Other Choice was possibly the festival favorite with critics, while Yorgos Lanthimos’ bonkers Bugonia and Sorrentino’s aching La Grazia were also celebrated as exquisite returns to form.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Her endlessly inventive vocal approach and aching tenderness with ballads earned her a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master designation in 2012.—
Duante Beddingfield,
Freep.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Symptoms of Chagas disease include fever, fatigue, body aches, headache, rash, loss of appetite, diarrhea, vomiting, and eyelid swelling.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Fanning — a young performer long admired for her precision and emotional intelligence on screen — brings a quiet ache and layered restraint to the role.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Creative differences led to a bitter falling out between Davies and Hodgson, who left the band in 1983.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Sep. 2025
-
But to have the season’s only returning houseguest exit on a twist like this, and not even from gameplay, social standing or an eviction vote leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, to say the least.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But reducing the supply of homes available for sale also pushed home prices up, hurting families on the cusp of homeownership.—
Alex Mayyasi,
NPR,
9 Sep. 2025
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Doctors spent several minutes resuscitating Luka before making the difficult decision to use a paralyzing agent to stop him from moving and potentially hurting himself.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Next morning at breakfast Amby complains grandly of his soreness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The Sox made some tweaks to their lineup as second baseman Chase Meidroth did not start because of right ankle soreness.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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There was a sharp spike in job cuts during August, new data shows, as employers shed staff due to a worsening economic picture.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
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Analysts Craig Moffett’s rating change follows a sharp rally for the tech giant.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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After all, who wants to feel the pangs of self-doubt, anxiety, or chronic stress?—
Maia Niguel Hoskin,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
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Poor people know the intimate, badgering pangs of hunger, but in Ireland, the memory of the 1845-1848 Famine—the Great Hunger, when one million died from starvation and disease, and another million emigrated—still aches.—
Philip Metres
August 27,
Literary Hub,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smarting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smarting. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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