smolder
verb (used without object)
to burn without flame; undergo slow or suppressed combustion.
smoldering
-
present participleof smolder.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
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.
With every step farther into “the pile,” what rescue workers came to call the smoldering mass of debris, a coating of white powder got thicker and deeper—like snow that wasn’t snow, my father recalls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Drought changes that dramatically, allowing flames to enter the peat itself and continue smoldering below the surface.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026
Firefighters and police were working at the scene amid the twisted, smoldering wreckage of the aircraft, images posted on Facebook by local news outlets revealed.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
But Lineage has contracted a private fire company to continue flowing water into smoldering areas of the rubble when needed as crews work to remove the debris, according to the mayor’s office.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
Behind us came the oldest women, carrying smoldering torches, greenheart poles wrapped in palm-oil-soaked rags.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
