smolder

or smoul·der

[ smohl-der ]

/ ˈsmoʊl dər /

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See synonyms for: smolder / smoldering on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

to burn without flame; undergo slow or suppressed combustion.

to exist or continue in a suppressed state or without outward demonstration: Hatred smoldered beneath a polite surface.

to display repressed feelings, as of indignation, anger, or the like: to smolder with rage.

noun

dense smoke resulting from slow or suppressed combustion.

a smoldering fire.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of smolder

1275–1325; (noun) Middle English smolder smoky vapor, dissimilated variant of smorthersmother; (v.) Middle English (as present participle smolderende), derivative of the noun

OTHER WORDS FROM smolder

un·smol·der·ing, adjective

How to use smolder in a sentence

Abrams gives good smolder, and Francis is terrific, delivering a breakout performance in a role that could be intensely annoying but that she makes wounded and winning.
One Good Thing: Netflix’s Dash & Lily is a sweet TV rom-com with a Christmas twist|Emily VanDerWerff|November 20, 2020|Vox
The escort site Cowboys4Angels peddles chiseled, hot-bodied men and their smoldering model looks to women willing to pay.
Career-Minded Women Turn to Male Escorts For No-Strings Fun and (Maybe) Sex|Aurora Snow|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A patchwork of building shells and cratered streets, the city tells of a cyclical war, still smoldering.
Victims No More: Congo’s Badass Women Mechanics|Nina Strochlic|June 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
While BFF Decker landed the cover, Teigen was named “rookie of the year,” launching her career as a smoldering centerfold.
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Chrissy Teigen Weds John Legend|Anna Klassen|September 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Sculpted, smoldering, and defiant, he is first presented as the natural enemy of Bohannon, a former slave owner.
‘Hell on Wheels’ Has Found Its Way|Allen Barra|January 6, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Gus may be smoldering inside, but the only indication the viewer ever gets is through the weight in his eyes.
'Breaking Bad' Kills It!|Maria Elena Fernandez|October 10, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Charred beams and blackened walls showed stark and gaunt in the glow of a smoldering mass of wreckage.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
He stirred the smoldering ashes till the broiled fowl began to sizzle afresh.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
They burlesqued womanhood in a way that stirred always a smoldering resentment against them.
Cabin Fever|B. M. Bower
The waiters were all Martian slaves, he noticed, their phosphorescent owl-eyes smoldering in the dim blue light.
Security|Poul William Anderson
In the middle of this higher floor was a smoldering wood fire, from which the smoke had colored the roof timbers a shiny black.
Silver Chimes in Syria|W. S. Nelson

British Dictionary definitions for smolder

smolder

/ (ˈsməʊldə) /

verb, noun

the US spelling of smoulder

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

smolder

or smoul·der

Origin of smolder

OTHER WORDS FROM smolder

Words related to smolder

How to use smolder in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for smolder