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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in ache
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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
Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 30 Mar. 2026 Still smarting from the Winfrey experience, Netflix approached the couple to discuss how a potential book deal would impact the release of the docuseries. —Matt Donnelly, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026 The Clippers were coming off a blowout victory at home over the Pelicans the night before, while the Warriors had spent a day off smarting from their own blowout loss to the Lakers in Chase Center. —Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2026 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 Though Maia’s apparently now crushing being Tallulah’s manager in terms of getting her lucrative deal$, Tallulah’s still smarting from the embarrassment of her cheesy Ritz ad, leaving her unmotivated to keep going with whatever new ideas Maia puts in front of her. —Caroline Framke, Vulture, 15 Dec. 2025 Luxury Retail Remade Saks Global might have started off 2025 in a hole, with many vendors smarting over money still owed for past orders and reluctant to ship fresh goods to the retailer, but the trends have been getting better. —Evan Clark, Footwear News, 12 Nov. 2025 Simashev was smarting and vulnerable. —Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
With the Boston Celtics in town, undoubtedly still smarting from the beatdown the Charlotte Hornets put on them earlier this month, the stage was set for another meaningful game in uptown. —Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 30 Mar. 2026 Still smarting from the Winfrey experience, Netflix approached the couple to discuss how a potential book deal would impact the release of the docuseries. —Matt Donnelly, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026 The Clippers were coming off a blowout victory at home over the Pelicans the night before, while the Warriors had spent a day off smarting from their own blowout loss to the Lakers in Chase Center. —Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2026 McNeel spent more than the rest of the GOP field combined and was backed by the trial lawyers still smarting over last year’s litigation overhaul. —Adam Beam, AJC.com, 21 Jan. 2026 Last summer, Edwards was smarting again from a 4-1 loss to the Thunder in the conference finals. —Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026 Though Maia’s apparently now crushing being Tallulah’s manager in terms of getting her lucrative deal$, 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smarting
Adjective
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The tracks are more vulnerable, biting, and self-aware than ever, and in some cases, feature lyrics pulled right out of Hjelt’s diary.— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2026
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The 2019 image of the peanut-chomping envoy quickly went viral, begetting a biting social-media hashtag: #LordCacahuates (Lord Peanuts).— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Mary Jannotta sliced meat and cheese behind deli counters at Acme and Pathmark supermarkets in the Philadelphia suburbs for decades, developing aches that came with working on her feet.— Craig R. McCoy, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
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Growing up, Curp wrestled with fatigue and aches, not only on her skin, but also in her joints.— Xitlalic Montelongo, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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My therapist seemed to mould my aching limbs like clay, teasing out knots in my back and paying special attention to my extra-tight right shoulder.— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
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Sandals are a personal non-negotiable during the spring and summer, but finding pairs that don’t leave your feet aching by day two can be challenging.— Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Down 3-1 after dropping the first three games, little has gone right for the Penguins against their most bitter rival, and advancing will require an improbable and historic comeback.— Josh Yohe, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
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The bitter legal fight between Elon Musk and the leading artificial intelligence firm, OpenAI, led by Sam Altman, may come down to a few pages in one executive's personal diary.— Deepa Seetharaman, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Limited research suggests drinking turmeric milk a few days after a workout may reduce muscle soreness.— Megan Nunn, Verywell Health, 23 Apr. 2026
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His hip ached with soreness, his right ankle left bruised as his rehabilitation process stalled longer than anticipated as the Lakers cleared the drawing board.— Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The government is mindful of not hurting economic growth or spurring panic among consumers.— Shoko Oda, Bloomberg, 27 Apr. 2026
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Then Simons left the game on a stretcher just past the hour after hurting his knee.— Jay Harris, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Nikola Katic, a mountain of a defender, all elbows and sharp edges, was terrific before suffering a season-ending injury during Bosnia and Herzegovina’s World Cup qualification win over Italy.— Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
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Three candidates are vying to lead Chula Vista, San Diego County’s second-largest city, in the June primary, with the winner set to serve a four-year term atop a City Council that has been marked in recent years by sharp partisan division.— Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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At a recent sleepover, my 15-year-old son and his 14-year-old friend Charlie, driven by a pang of nostalgia, chose to watch the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics on YouTube.— Luba Kassova, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026
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What Brooks proffers is not the philosophy these queries require but a kind of pharmacology—a pill designed to alleviate every last pang.— Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smarting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/smarting. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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