Smarting
/ˈsmɑːr.tɪŋ/noun
Causing or feeling a sharp stinging pain or a burning emotional hurt.
Did you know?*Smart* originally meant “to sting” or “cause pain,” and only later evolved into “clever,” so English literally turned injury into intelligence.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*smer-
“to hurt, pain, sting”
Old English
OE
smeortan
“to sting, ache, cause sharp pain”
Middle English
ME
smart(en)
“to feel or cause a sharp, painful sting”
Modern English
English
smarting
“stinging, burning, or acutely painful; emotionally stung”