splitting

American  

[split-ing] / ˈsplɪt ɪŋ /

adjective

1. being split or causing something to split.

2. violent or severe, as a headache.

3. very fast or rapid.

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noun

1. Usually splittings. a part or fragment that has been split off from something.

   Some cavemen made their smaller tools from the splittings of stone.

splitting British  

/ ˈsplɪtɪŋ /

adjective

1. (of a headache) intolerably painful; acute

2. (of the head) assailed by an overpowering unbearable pain

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noun

1. psychoanal the Freudian defence mechanism in which an object or idea (or, alternatively, the ego) is separated into two or more parts in order to remove its threatening meaning

Other Word Forms

• antisplitting
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of splitting

First recorded in 1585–95; split + -ing ², -ing ¹

Example Sentences

And unlike Becerra, he didn’t move full-time to D.C., and was splitting his time between the nation’s capital and California, where his family lived.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026

Green hydrogen generally refers to hydrogen gas produced from splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using renewably sourced electricity.

From Barron's • May 11, 2026

Data experts Opta produce an xGK figure, similar to the xG value attached to shots at goal in football, which assesses the likelihood of a particular kicker splitting the uprights from different distances and angles.

From BBC • May 6, 2026

Company bosses are splitting into two camps over what the technology’s best, immediate benefits are.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

Hopefully shoveling snow and splitting wood would help him clear his head.

From "I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake, 1964" by Lauren Tarshis

Related Words

• breakdown
• disintegration
• dissolution
• divorce
• separation
• split
• termination