Smolder
/ˈsmoʊldər/noun
To burn slowly with smoke but no flame.
Did you know?The word 'smolder' stems from an Old English term that evokes images of deep, consuming fire— a metaphor for buried passion or unresolved emotions.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*smuldra-
“to burn, to smoke”
Old English
OE
smolder
“to burn without flame, to smoke”
Middle English
ME
smolderen
“to burn slowly with smoke, often used poetically”
Modern English
English
smolder
“to persist in a state of suppressed emotion or intensity, akin to burning beneath the surface”