# gnawing

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈnɔː.ɪŋ/ · frequency rank #39,338

## Definitions
1. severe or intense

## Etymology
From Middle English gnawynge; equivalent to gnaw + -ing.

## Easily confused with
- **growing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gnawing-vs-growing)
- **grazing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gnawing-vs-grazing)
- **grading** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gnawing-vs-grading)
- **grating** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gnawing-vs-grating)
- **gaming** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gaming-vs-gnawing)
- **gazing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gazing-vs-gnawing)
- **gaping** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gaping-vs-gnawing)
- **gating** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gating-vs-gnawing)
- **glowing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/glowing-vs-gnawing)
- **gearing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gearing-vs-gnawing)
- **glaring** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/glaring-vs-gnawing)
- **glazing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/glazing-vs-gnawing)

## Common misspellings (11)
`ganwing`, `ggnawing`, `gnaiwng`, `gnawign`, `gnawingg`, `gnawinng`, `gnawnig`, `gnawwing`, `gnnawing`, `gnwaing`, `ngawing`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/gnawing