itching

[ich-ing]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characterized by an irritating sensation of the skin.

2. of, relating to, or having a longing or desire to do or have something.

   An itching public anxiously awaits her announcement.

3. characterized by restlessness or the desire for adventure or activity.

   an itching impulse to travel.

4. characterized by the desire to grasp; grasping; an itching palm open for a bribe.

noun

1. itch.

Other Word Forms

• itchingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of itching¹

before 1000; Middle English ( y ) ichinge, ( y ) itchinge (noun, adj.); replacing Old English giccende (adj.). See itch, -ing ², -ing ¹

Example Sentences

That’s opened up new roles for senior marketers itching for work outside the corporate earnings cycle.

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Nor was there a get well soon card the time when Penelope had chicken pox and had to spend three days taking warm milk baths to stop the dreadful itching.

Read more on Literature

The apple grated into the sauce, tiny threads of sweetness weaving through the fat and squash—something I had been itching to try since watching Netflix’s “Nonnas.”

Read more on Salon

“It’s going to be hard to stop this process. The generals are itching for a fight. They want to go. The situation might get out of control, with irreversible consequences.”

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We picked rosehips from hedges too, which we split open to make itching powder, perfect for playground pranks.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

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• disgusting 
• disturbing 
• eerie 
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• ghoulish 
• macabre 
• menacing 
• ominous 
• sinister 
• terrifying 
• weird