smarting
/ˈsmɑɹtɪŋ/adjective, noun, verb
smarting is spelled S-M-A-R-T-I-N-G: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 67,454th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, smarting means “Painful, sore” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in smarting?
| Letters | 8: S-M-A-R-T-I-N-G |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 5 million words; the 67,454th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is smarting?
Smarting appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 67,454th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce smarting?
- /ˈsmɑɹtɪŋ/
Smarting has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Forms of smarting
- more smarting comparative
- most smarting superlative
- smartings plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does smarting mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Painful, sore.
My arm is still smarting from where the ball hit it.
- 2
Experiencing emotional pain or embarrassment.
noun
- 1
A sensation that smarts or stings.
verb
- 1
present participle and gerund of smart
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Where does smarting come from?
From Middle English smertyng, smertinge, from Old English smeortung, smertung (“smarting, itching”), equivalent to smart + -ing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).