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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in ache
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in aching
to feel or cause physical pain
the injection only smarted for a moment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of smarting
Adam Beam, AJC.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Last summer, Edwards was smarting again from a 4-1 loss to the Thunder in the conference finals.
—Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
While Golden State arrived in Brooklyn still smarting from Sunday’s overtime loss in Toronto, the Nets entered Monday having won three in a row and having gone 7-3 in December.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 30 Dec. 2025
Though Maia’s apparently now crushing being Tallulah’s manager in terms of getting her lucrative deal$, Tallulah’s still smarting from the embarrassment of her cheesy Ritz ad, leaving her unmotivated to keep going with whatever new ideas Maia puts in front of her.
—Caroline Framke, Vulture, 15 Dec. 2025
Luxury Retail Remade Saks Global might have started off 2025 in a hole, with many vendors smarting over money still owed for past orders and reluctant to ship fresh goods to the retailer, but the trends have been getting better.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 12 Nov. 2025
Simashev was smarting and vulnerable.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 22 Oct. 2025
Baltimore is smarting from that Monday home loss to Deroit -- but Crows would be 3-0 if not for a pair of Derrick Henry fumbles.
—Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
The bill didn’t specifically target card rooms, but the tribes’ rival gambling establishments, still smarting from last year’s legislative defeat, worried their competitors would find a way to use the pending law against them.
—Calmatters, Oc Register, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
McNeel spent more than the rest of the GOP field combined and was backed by the trial lawyers still smarting over last year’s litigation overhaul.
—Adam Beam, AJC.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Last summer, Edwards was smarting again from a 4-1 loss to the Thunder in the conference finals.
—Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
While Golden State arrived in Brooklyn still smarting from Sunday’s overtime loss in Toronto, the Nets entered Monday having won three in a row and having gone 7-3 in December.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 30 Dec. 2025
Though Maia’s apparently now crushing being Tallulah’s manager in terms of getting her lucrative deal$, Tallulah’s still smarting from the embarrassment of her cheesy Ritz ad, leaving her unmotivated to keep going with whatever new ideas Maia puts in front of her.
—Caroline Framke, Vulture, 15 Dec. 2025
Luxury Retail Remade Saks Global might have started off 2025 in a hole, with many vendors smarting over money still owed for past orders and reluctant to ship fresh goods to the retailer, but the trends have been getting better.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 12 Nov. 2025
Simashev was smarting and vulnerable.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 22 Oct. 2025
Baltimore is smarting from that Monday home loss to Deroit -- but Crows would be 3-0 if not for a pair of Derrick Henry fumbles.
—Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
The bill didn’t specifically target card rooms, but the tribes’ rival gambling establishments, still smarting from last year’s legislative defeat, worried their competitors would find a way to use the pending law against them.
—Calmatters, Oc Register, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smarting
Adjective
-
The Chill Factor Perhaps the most biting statistic of the season so far is the temperature.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Morbidly Jewish finds Raanan at his most biting, acerbic, angry, Jewish, and, as always…loud.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea, nausea and stomach pain, body aches, headache and fever.—
Steven Rosenbaum,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Based on a novel by Sally Rooney, the show captures the quiet ache of two people drawn to each other despite the obstacles that keep pulling them apart.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Shaped like your favorite travel pillow, only larger, Buffy’s Cloud side-sleeper pillow offers ample support to aching necks and shoulders.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Rather than involving the wrist’s median nerve, the ulnar nerve in the elbow is compressed, resulting in numbness and tingling in some fingers along with aching pain in the elbow.—
Scott Lafee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The bitter taste discourages some animals, and others are put off by the smell.—
Joan Morris,
Mercury News,
23 Feb. 2026
-
The unfolding Mandelson scandal threatened to topple Starmer’s premiership, with the bitter fallout leading to the resignations of key advisers and growing calls from senior Labour Party figures for the British prime minister to step down.—
Peter Wilkinson,
CNN Money,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Powell was added to the Heat’s injury report on Thursday morning, with the team listing him as questionable for the contest because of right groin soreness.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Jalen Pickett was out due to right knee soreness.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Stocks had a rough session Friday on the worries about AI hurting the economy that have been dogging the market for weeks.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Better to clear the air, and establish better communication for next time, than to break up hurting.—
Eric Thomas,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Berkshire reported a sharp decline in operating earnings for the fourth quarter, driven largely by weakness in its insurance business.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
1 Mar. 2026
-
This sea of sharp buttes and sky-high pinnacles offers numerous west-facing vantage points.—
Stephanie Vermillion,
Outside,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The album’s Bandcamp blurb shouts out Ghédalia Tarzatès, the late French composer who collaged his wails and lamentations in the endangered Ladino language to evoke pangs of existential angst.—
H.D. Angel,
Pitchfork,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Everyone’s blood sugar levels sporadically spike, and that’s normal, but keeping it steady helps prevent energy crashes, hunger pangs, and mood swings, Dardarian says.—
Julia Ries Wexler,
Outside,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smarting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smarting. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
