the.com/smarting
the body's tiny tantrum, where pain and offended dignity sting in equal measure
means Stinging with a sharp, prickling pain — whether from a fresh cut, a slap, or a wounded pride.
from From Old English smeortan, "to feel or cause a sharp pain," with cousins across the Germanic family (German Schmerz, "pain," is a close relative). The word for the painful sting came first; the "clever" sense of smart is the same root, taken to mean sharp-witted — a mind with an edge, like the prick of a needle.
- origin
- From Old English smeortan, meaning to feel sharp pain
- double duty
- Describes stung skin and bruised ego alike
- smart link
- Shares roots with smart, once meaning painfully sharp
- slang life
- To smart off invites a smarting in return
boxer's eye after fight — swollen tissue causes sharp pain and stinging sensation during and after boxing matches
salt in open wound — sodium chloride crystals sting exposed tissue with immediate burning pain, documented in first aid protocols
sunburn peeling skin — nerve endings exposed during desquamation cause intense stinging, especially in stage 3-4 sunburn recovery