- present participle of churn.
churning
Americannoun
-
the quantity of butter churned at any one time
-
the act, process, or effect of someone or something that churns
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of churning
First recorded in 1400–50, churning is from the late Middle English word chyrnynge. See churn, -ing 1
Explanation
Use the adjective churning to describe a liquid that's being powerfully moved around. A boat on a churning lake will be tossed around on its surface. A churning sea is the result of a violent storm that blows against the water and produces large waves. You could even describe your churning stomach when you're incredibly nervous about giving a speech or making a presentation. In either case, there's an intense kind of agitation going on. The root of churning is the Old English cyrin, related to cyrnel, or "kernel," which describes the way churned cream looks grainy or gritty.
Vocabulary lists containing churning
Number the Stars
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Boy: Tales of Childhood
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Witches" by Roald Dahl, Chapters 1–5
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
So with a bit of strategic churning — that is, adding and dropping services month to month — you can still catch the best shows while keeping your monthly streaming budget under $50.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
Domestic manufacturers are now churning out firepower for the 15- to 125-mile range.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
"Some are pushing for the high-30s and still churning out unbelievable performances week in, week out," he said.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
I don’t get mistaken for an actual person, but I do love the moment where you pass them on the sidewalk or on the subway and you see the wheels churning in their mind.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2026
I’ve never felt anything like the white-hot rage now churning inside my stomach over the fact that this Jacob guy succeeded in his stupid, life-breaking mission.
From "Fast Pitch" by Nic Stone
The intensity depends on many factors, including complex churnings in the Earth's core.
From Salon ● Feb. 9, 2023
She seems to satisfy, to an extreme and unabashed degree, our romantic belief that the pangs of creative production can be traced directly to private churnings of love and loss.
From The New Yorker ● Jul. 1, 2015
It was an illustration of the many simultaneous churnings that animate India today.
From New York Times ● Dec. 12, 2013
Evensong belies its title by ascending to multiphonic free jazz with hymnal piano churnings beneath.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 25, 2011
His mind was a grayness and there were churnings of pain in his stomach.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
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.
