smarting

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smarting

/ˈsmɑɹtɪŋ/

Where it comes from

From Middle English smertyng, smertinge, from Old English smeortung, smertung (“smarting, itching”), equivalent to smart + -ing.

adjective more smarting · most smarting

Painful, sore. My arm is still smarting from where the ball hit it.
Similar: aching, smartful, achesome, achy, raw, hurt, hurty, griefful, pained, painfilled, painful, smarting
figuratively Experiencing emotional pain or embarrassment.
Similar: ashamed, pained

verb

gerund, participle, present present participle and gerund of smart

noun smartings

countable, uncountable A sensation that smarts or stings. Strong they are; for they trample upon our light, the penalties of laws divine and human; yea, and the smartings of our own conscience.

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MLA

"smarting." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/smarting. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

smarting. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/smarting

Chicago

"smarting." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/smarting.

BibTeX

@misc{smarting_2026,
  title = {smarting},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/smarting},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}