- present participle of paint.
noun
-
the art or process of applying paints to a surface such as canvas, to make a picture or other artistic composition
-
a composition or picture made in this way
-
the act of applying paint to a surface with a brush
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of painting
Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; see origin at paint, -ing 1
Explanation
If you want to study painting, go to art school. If that doesn’t work out, maybe you can get a job painting houses. Then you can paint a house purple or paint a picture, which is called a painting. Slapping a coat of paint on your apartment walls is painting, but so is creating a masterpiece like Van Gogh's "Starry Night" or maybe even C.M. Coolidge’s “Dogs Playing Poker.” The picture that results from your painting experiments is also called a painting. The Latin root of painting, pingere, means "to paint," but also "to stain, embroider, or tattoo."
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:
At the Bowers Museum, 2002 N. Main St., celebrates a free festival from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with live music, dance performances, face painting, and family art projects.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2026
Tottenham fan Dakota said "I'm almost glad I can't make it" in relation to a Spurs social media advert about the north London derby, which listed DJs, drinks, face painting and freestylers.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
Friedman pushed back on the notion that age was to blame, saying that explanation was painting with too broad of a stroke.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
The author uses that rich archive for the book’s lavishly illustrated second half, which explores the ways other artists have repurposed the painting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
Pressing my left foot against the doorframe, I drag the painting supplies into the hallway, and then half drag, half carry everything to unit 506.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Mentioning Siena elicits comments about paintings by Duccio, Simone Martini and the Lorenzetti brothers, and enthusiastic memories of the splendid exhibition “Siena: The Rise of Painting” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2024.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
Today Renoir’s light-filled paintings of the creamy-skinned Cahen d’Anvers girls, in frothy white lace and pastel satin, are seen as masterpieces of Impressionism.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
While his paintings now fill galleries, Hodges himself would rather remain out of view.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
While the paintings may not be physically vibrating, their compositions resonate with a similar intensity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
Madame Ionesco was there, too, as the spooky change in the paintings pleased her to no end.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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