adjective
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piercing; keen
a biting wind
-
sarcastic; incisive
a biting comment
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of biting
First recorded in 1250–1300, biting is from the Middle English word bitynge. See bite, -ing 2
Explanation
Anything biting is sharp and painful, like the biting wind off that rolls off a frozen lake on a blustery day. A biting dog has the tendency, literally, to bite with its sharp teeth. A more common, figurative way to use this adjective is to mean either "painfully cold" or "cruel." So there's the biting cold of January in Minnesota, but there's also the biting remark of someone whose words are just as agonizing.
Vocabulary lists containing biting
Chill Out! Synonyms for "Cold"
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List 3
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Cold
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“The Late Show” may be leaving CBS, but Colbert’s voice — and his biting satire — aren’t going anywhere.
From Salon • May 19, 2026
Diplomatically isolated and under biting sanctions over its nuclear and weapons programmes, North Korea has an ageing manufacturing base which analysts doubt has the ability to make high-quality consumer technology.
From Barron's • May 5, 2026
At this point, I usually sit in the waiting room biting my nails, bracing for the results.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026
It delighted Picasso, who thereafter took delight in biting those who came to see him.
From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026
At the water’s edge we started to dig, getting into everyone’s way, splashing, the sand under our nails and crushed shells biting at our feet.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
