painting

noun

paint·​ing ˈpān-tiŋ 

1

: a product of painting

especially : a work produced through the art of painting

2

: the art or occupation of painting

Synonyms of painting

• canvas
• mural
• watercolor

Examples of painting in a Sentence

They hung the painting in the living room.

The woman in that painting is my grandmother.

I like painting more than sculpture.

He is studying abstract painting.

She wants to devote all her time to painting.

The room is ready for painting.

Recent Examples on the Web

Painted in 1921, that painting was purchased for the raffle from billionaire art collector David Nahmad, who argued in an Associated Press interview that Picasso would have approved of raffling his work. —ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026

And the gatherings staged at the branches around the county are wide-ranging — from veterans meetings at the Chickasaw branch and a chess club in Winter Garden to acrylic painting in Eatonville and family board games Saturdays at the southeast branch, north of the airport. —Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Apr. 2026

Every element had been carefully considered, Tabitha noted, the suave austerity of the Wassily chairs orbited by antique rugs and estate-sale paintings. —Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026

In one vignette, this trio puts a vaudevillian spin on Goldilocks’ Three Bears, who emerge from a painting at night to play a game of musical chairs. —Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing painting

• action painting
• cave painting
• finger painting
• no oil painting
• oil painting
• wall painting

Rhymes for painting

• fainting
• tainting
• acquainting
• repainting

Kids Definition

painting

noun

paint·​ing

1

: a painted work of art

2

: the art or occupation of painting