- present participle of dust.
dusting
Americannoun
-
a light application.
a dusting of powder.
-
a beating; defeat.
He gave his opponent a good dusting.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of dusting
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.
A light dusting of snow fell on the area on Monday, signalling the upcoming start of the ski season.
From Barron's • May 12, 2026
Platner is dusting Mills by lopsided margins in polling averages.
From Slate • Apr. 18, 2026
Rainfall totals of half an inch to 1.5 inches are expected in the mountain and foothill regions, and there is a chance of a dusting of snow in areas above 6,000 feet elevation.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
The only distinguishing features were a few hurried strips of grilled chicken and a light dusting of Tony Chachere’s — not stirred into the sauce, mind you, but sprinkled on top, like an afterthought.
From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026
At two thirty a.m., when the firemen opened the door and discovered the baby, lying in a cardboard box, it had just begun to snow, and everything was covered with a silvery, crystalline dusting.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
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.
