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Smarting vs Discomfort - What's the difference?

smarting | discomfort | Related terms |

Smarting is a related term of discomfort.


As verbs the difference between smarting and discomfort

is that smarting is while discomfort is to cause annoyance or distress to.

As nouns the difference between smarting and discomfort

is that smarting is a sensation that smarts or stings while discomfort is mental or bodily distress.

As an adjective smarting

is painful, sore.

smarting

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Painful, sore.
    • My arm is still smarting from where the ball hit it.
  • (figuratively) Experiencing emotional pain or embarrassment.

    • Verb

    (head)

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • A sensation that smarts or stings.
  • * (Thomas Halyburton)
    • Strong they are; for they trample upon our light, the penalties of laws divine and human; yea, and the smartings of our own conscience.

    Anagrams

    *

    discomfort

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Mental or bodily distress.
  • Something that disturbs one’s comfort; an annoyance.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-29, volume=407, issue=8842, page=55, magazine=(The Economist)
    • , title= Travels and travails , passage=Even without hovering drones, a lurking assassin, a thumping score and a denouement, the real-life story of Edward Snowden, a rogue spy on the run, could be straight out of the cinema. But, as with Hollywood, the subplots and exotic locations may distract from the real message: America’s discomfort and its foes’ glee.}}

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To cause annoyance or distress to.
  • (obsolete) To discourage; to deject.
  • * Shakespeare
    • His funeral shall not be in our camp, / Lest it discomfort us.

    Usage notes

    As a verb, the unrelated term discomfit is often used instead, largely interchangeably, though this is proscribed by some as an error, (term) originally meaning “destroy”, not “distress”.

    Derived terms

    * discomforter

    See also

    * discomfit