English vocabulary · B2
Smolder
/ˈsmoʊl.dər/ · v., n.
It means to burn slowly without a flame, or to feel a strong emotion you are holding inside and not showing.
Watch the Smolder lessonContinue in the learning app for video lessons and review.
Example sentences
- His anger smoldered for days after the meeting.
- She smiled, but her eyes smoldered with quiet pain.
Word origin and roots
from Middle English
- smol — slow burn (from Middle English)
Synonyms and nuances
- burn (intense emotion is barely held in check)
- simmer (tension slowly builds beneath the surface)
- seethe (anger is barely contained inside)
Lesson notes
Smolder. It means to burn slowly without a flame, or to feel a strong emotion you are holding inside and not showing.
Similar words are burn, simmer, and seethe. Use smolder when a feeling is kept inside but still very strong.
His anger smoldered for days after the meeting. She smiled, but her eyes smoldered with quiet pain.
From Middle English. Smol means slow burn. Slow burn kept inside, never released — that quiet fire is smolder.