Dictionary

smolder en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈsməʉldə(ɹ)/ (Australia)
• /ˈsmɐʉldə(ɹ)/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˈsməʊldə(ɹ)/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈsmoʊldɚ/ (Canada, General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English smolderen (“to suffocate, stifle”), from Middle English smolder (“smoke, smoky vapour”), ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *smolōn (“to burn, glow, fume, smoulder”). Related to Proto-West Germanic *smallijan (> English smell).

Meanings

1. The act of smoldering or something that smolders.
   • And she’s got a great scene partner in Stevens, refining his star power into a just slightly, almost imperceptibly mechanical approximation of Don Juan smolder. He lets us admire the interface and still see the code ticking away underneath it. 2021 September 16, A. A. Dowd, “Dan Stevens as a dashing robot lover? That computes”, in AV Club:

Forms

Relateds

do a slow burn

smolder en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈsməʉldə(ɹ)/ (Australia)
• /ˈsmɐʉldə(ɹ)/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˈsməʊldə(ɹ)/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈsmoʊldɚ/ (Canada, General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English smolderen (“to suffocate, stifle”), from Middle English smolder (“smoke, smoky vapour”), ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *smolōn (“to burn, glow, fume, smoulder”). Related to Proto-West Germanic *smallijan (> English smell).

Meanings

1. (US, intransitive) To burn slowly, giving off smoke but with little to no flame.
   • Behind him, where the deer had been, smoldered a large circle of grass and trees. 2003, Christopher Paolini, “Discovery”, in Eragon, page 7:
   • The remains of the bonfire were left to smolder for hours.
   • Our quiuering Lances ſhaking in the aire, And bullets like Ioues dreadfull Thunderbolts, Enrolde in flames and fiery ſmoldering miſtes, Shall threat the Gods more than Cyclopian warres, […] c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene iii:
2. (figuratively, intransitive) To show signs of repressed anger or suppressed mental turmoil or other strong emotion, such as passion.
3. (figuratively, intransitive) To exist in a suppressed or hidden state.

Forms

Deriveds

smolderingly · smolderingness · smolderer

Translations (52)

nl smeulen (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · fi kyteä (to show signs of repressed anger or suppressed mental turmoil or other strong emotion) · qu hapuy (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · fr se consumer (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · de schwelen (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · sv pyra (to exist in a suppressed or hidden state) · be тлець (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · ja 燻る (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · mi torohū (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · fr couver (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · sh tinjati (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · el καίω χωρίς φλόγα (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · bg тлея (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · cmn 陰燃 /阴燃 (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · mi mohu (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · pl gotować się (to show signs of repressed anger or suppressed mental turmoil or other strong emotion) · cv ӗн (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · oc sumir (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · mi ponguru (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · lv gruzdēt (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · de glimmen (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · ru тлеть (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · sv pyra (to show signs of repressed anger or suppressed mental turmoil or other strong emotion) · pt queimar/arder (sem chama) (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · el υποκαίω (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · el σιγοκαίω (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · ks وُہُن (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · af smeul (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · kk бықсу (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · hu parázslik (to exist in a suppressed or hidden state) · io bruletar (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · eo subbruli (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · oc coar (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · cs doutnat (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · fr ronger son frein (to show signs of repressed anger or suppressed mental turmoil or other strong emotion) · pl tlić się (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · eo bruleti (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · mi popō (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · hu parázslik (to show signs of repressed anger or suppressed mental turmoil or other strong emotion) · grc σμύχω (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · pl tleć (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · fi kyteä (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · el σιγοκαίω (to show signs of repressed anger or suppressed mental turmoil or other strong emotion) · it covare (to show signs of repressed anger or suppressed mental turmoil or other strong emotion) · vo smolön (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · es arder sin flama (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · gd cnàmh-loisg (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · sv pyra (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · uk же́вріти (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · hu parázslik (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · uk тлі́ти (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame) · it ardere (to burn slowly with smoke but no flame)