adjective
-
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.
Biting into a Red Delicious is always a major gamble because oftentimes, you'll be anticipating a nice juicy chomp, only to fill your mouth with mushy, brown-hued bits of fruit.
From Salon • Sep. 4, 2023
Anne Johnson, a graduate student working in Hoover’s lab, leads a community science project called Birds Biting Bad Bugs, in which she collects predation sightings from the public via Facebook.
From National Geographic • Aug. 31, 2023
Biting her tongue doesn’t come naturally to Ratajkowski, especially now, when she feels she’s finally finding her voice.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2023
Biting into one delivers a piping hot explosion of flavors and textures.
From New York Times • Mar. 29, 2023
“And you need to help Molly. Biting that sheyd made her sick.”
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
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.
