Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

gnawing

/ˈnɔ.ɪŋ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.75 in modern English

Syllables: gnaw-ing
IPA: /ˈnɔ.ɪŋ/

12

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

severe or intense

verb

present participle and gerund of gnaw

noun

The process by which something is gnawed.

noun

A sensation of being gnawed.

Example Sentences

"Engleitner found the constant gnawing hunger harder and harder to bear. When the rations eventually increased again and the prisoners were given stew, it did not make much difference to Engleitner."
"the gnawings of mice"
"The spirit of slavery raves under tormenting gnawings, and casts about in blind phrenzy for something to ease, or even to mock them."
""If I made them suffer the pains of exile, I would not let them endure also the gnawings of starvation."
"But from the time we returned from our first journey, after having spent some months in trying, as some one put it, to "discover America," I felt the gnawings of excited appetite."

Etymology

From Middle English gnawynge; equivalent to gnaw + -ing.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: gnawynge

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈnɔ.ɪŋ/

Inflected Forms

more gnawing (comparative) most gnawing (superlative) gnawings (plural)

Rhymes With

drawing withdrawing sawing clawing thawing redrawing pawing hawing lawing cawing dawing

Questions

How do you pronounce gnawing?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈnɔ.ɪŋ/.
What does gnawing mean?: severe or intense
Where does gnawing come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce gnawing

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “gnawing”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈnɔ.ɪŋ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “gnawing”.
Repeat and practice — Say “gnawing” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.