as in ached
to feel or cause physical pain
the injection only smarted for a moment
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smarted
Verb
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His abdomen and back ached from constant dry heaves.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Jan. 2026 -
My heart ached for him and his mother, who held him tightly.—
Janet Rich Edwards,
PEOPLE,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
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My father had said to me, My heart hurt more than my body—the flesh can take blows, the heart suffers them.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
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Three other people were also hurt in that crash.—
Megan De Mar,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Smarted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smarted. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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