🎬 Editing or dividing 🪡 The act of dividing ✂️ A piece removed 🗡️ Harsh or cruel

cutting

5.2

Very hurtful in words, or sharply cold in weather

adjective
/ˈkʌtɪŋ/

: cortante

His cutting remarks left her feeling hurt and insulted.

Or the hate and vitriol, the cruel words, the cutting remarks.

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Examples

The cutting wind made it difficult to enjoy the outdoor concert.
Maybe Achilles could have done more damage to Agamemnon with a cutting wit than his rage.
It's, it's simply a very deep, cutting, revealing situation.
It's just a less robust or less cutting version than the purple.
My tears don't bother you up, but your mind is cutting me deep, deep, deep, deep, deep, deep.
I want to do quite subtle little crease because I want the eyeliner to go up very sharp and very cutting and nice.
It can be the most painful and cutting experience in into the depth of your heart and your confidence and your shake of faith in life itself.

Ed Mylett
It's a it's quiet, it whispers, but cutting is something fearful and forceful.
I've never had Andrew Clavin of the Daily Wire here, but he is so smart and cutting and unsparing.

Megyn Kelly
He sent Marshall Marmot to replace Messena and when they next met, greeted him with the cutting words.

Synonyms

sharp

vscutting

67 2.2

A sudden strong pain that feels like being cut

extends this sense to cruel or sharply penetrating remarks and winds

harsh

vscutting

47 3.9

Very strong and unpleasant to the senses, like bright light or bitter taste

is more specific about cruelty or sharp, penetrating quality

piercing

vscutting

2 5.5

A very sharp, intense feeling or sound that seems to cut

adds a sense of cruelty or emotional sting beyond mere intensity

bruising

vscutting

2 6.3

Causing strong emotional pain and making you feel upset

is broader, also describing sudden piercing pain or coldness

searing

vscutting

Offensive

1 7.2

A very harsh remark that tries to hurt someone

covers that intensity but also milder cruel or piercing effects

sharp-worded

vscutting

7.1

Saying harsh words to criticize someone or something

is broader, also describing penetrating sensations or cold winds

stinging

vscutting

6.3

Harsh or hurtful in a way that makes someone feel upset

is similar but can also describe cold or painful sensations

wounding

vscutting

6.3

Causing emotional pain or hurt

can mean the same hurt but also physical sharpness or wind

Antonyms

gentle

235 1.0

Kind and not strong in action, sound, or touch

soothing

81 2.9

That makes pain or worry feel less strong

Idioms

ninjas cutting onions

Informal

9.9

A joking excuse for tears when something makes you feel emotional

Compounds

cutting-edge

49 5.6

Very new and modern because it uses the latest ideas and technology

cutting edge

37 3.9

The newest and most advanced position in a field like technology

cutting off

24 5.1

The removal of part of something with a sharp tool, like a branch or wire

cost cutting

14 3.0

Steps a company takes to spend less money

cutting out

Specialized

13 6.9

An operation to remove part of the body or tissue

cutting board

12 1.5

A flat board used to cut food like meat or vegetables

cutting edge

8 3.6

The sharp side of a blade that slices food or other things

cutting room

5 4.6

A room where people edit films or tapes by removing unwanted parts

cutting room floor

4 6.8

Parts of a film or book removed before the final version is released

clear-cutting

Specialized

2 5.2

Cutting down all the trees in an area at once

cutting tool

2 3.1

A tool like a knife or scissors that cuts materials

price cutting

1 2.8

Reducing the price of goods below the usual amount to attract customers

rug-cutting

Archaic

1 8.7

A lively, skilled dance that shows energy and enthusiasm

cutting onions

Informal

8.0

A joking way to say someone seems to be crying from strong feelings

cutting angle

Specialized

6.3

The angle between a tool's blade and the surface of the material

leaf-cutting bee

6.8

A bee that cuts small pieces from leaves or flowers to build its nest

metal-cutting

Specialized

4.8

Tools or machines that cut metal

rug-cutting move

Slang

8.2

A lively dance move that people do with energy to show skill

press cutting

Literature

3.2

A piece cut from a newspaper or magazine that you keep

How Harsh

scathing

19 7.7

biting

5.4

cutting

5.2

harsh

47 3.9

mild

107 1.0

Surface Forms

cutting positive

Morphology

cutting = cut (semi-transparent) = cut + ing

The adjectival use is a metaphorical extension from 'cut' (sharp, piercing), so the link is understandable but not strictly literal.

Etymology

Cutting comes from the verb cut, which can mean 'to wound' as well as 'to divide'. That's why a cutting remark or a cutting wind feels sharp and can 'cut' like a knife, making it painful or very cold.