Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
💬 Harsh words 🥶 Very cold
biting

biting

3 3.8
Gives a sharp, painful feeling on your skin in cold weather
  • adjective
  • /ˈbaɪtɪŋ/
: cortante
  • Despite the sun shining, the biting chill in the air reminded us that winter was still here.

I have rockets to drive away the beast in the night sky, the terror biting down into your heart.

Examples

  • (BITING)

    The Good Dinosaur (2015)

  • And some of them are naturally more nail biting than others.

  • And some of them are naturally more nail biting than others.

  • However, like this plant here, this plant here is really hanging down low and and Ouch, the biting flies are out today.

  • We had the generator and we had the parity check and we had the trellis style and we even had a tail biting trellis.

  • The biting wind made it difficult to enjoy the outdoor festival.

  • She shivered as the biting cold pierced through her winter coat.

Synonyms

bitter
vsbiting
25 2.7

Causing a sharp, painful feeling from cold weather

is more penetrating and intensely cold rather than simply harsh
frostbiting
vsbiting
1 7.0

Very cold and painfully sharp, like wind that hurts skin

is intense and penetrating but not as extremely painful or damaging

Antonyms

warm
∞ 1.0

Having a comfortable level of heat, often after recent use

mild
206 1.0

Something like pain and criticism that is not very strong or serious

Compounds

nail-biting
  • Informal
3 4.2

Making you feel very nervous and excited while you wait to see what happens

biting point
  • UK
1 7.9

A moment when emotions or tension are at their highest

nail-biting finish
  • Informal
1 4.3

An exciting ending that makes people feel nervous

biting midge
  • Specialized
1 8.6

A very small flying insect that bites animals and people

biting louse
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A small wingless insect that lives on birds and eats their feathers and skin

How Cold

freezing
156 1.0
frigid
34 4.1
biting
3 3.8
cold
∞ 1.0
chilly
112 1.0
cool
296 1.0

Surface Forms

biting positive

Morphology

biting = bite (transparent) = bite + ing

The adjective is a present-participle adjective from the verb 'bite' meaning causing a sharp, stinging sensation, which learners can derive from 'bite' + -ing.

Etymology

Biting comes from the verb bite, which means 'to bite'. Think of a cold wind that seems to 'bite' your skin like teeth and gives a sharp, stinging pain, so biting describes very cold, sharply painful weather.