biting

[bahy-ting]

adjective

1. nipping; smarting; keen.

   biting cold; a biting sensation on the tongue.

2. cutting; sarcastic.

   a biting remark.

   Synonyms: scathing, mordant, caustic, trenchant, incisive

biting

/ ˈbaɪtɪŋ /

adjective

1. piercing; keen

   a biting wind

2. sarcastic; incisive

   a biting comment

Other Word Forms

• bitingly adverb
• bitingness noun
• nonbiting adjective
• unbiting adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of biting¹

First recorded in 1250–1300, biting is from the Middle English word bitynge. See bite, -ing ²

Example Sentences

Among them is a member of the first flotilla who was not included in a first wave of releases after allegedly biting an Israeli prison officer.

Read more on Barron's

They are active mainly during the day, with peak biting times in the early morning and late afternoon.

Read more on Science Daily

She spent her final years biting at nursing staff, unable to communicate.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But the 26-year-old said he is not "biting at the bit" to captain England in an Ashes Test and expects Stokes to play in all five matches.

Read more on BBC

Elordi’s first memory growing up in Brisbane on the east coast of Australia is either his grandmother biting his butt or him careening down a blue slide into his swimming pool.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• acerbic 
• bitter 
• caustic 
• incisive 
• mordant 
• scathing 
• sharp 
• stinging www.thesaurus.com
• trenchant 
• withering