cutting
1 of 2noun
cut·ting ˈkə-tiŋ 
plural cuttings
1
: something cut or cut off or out: such as
a
: a plant section originating from stem, leaf, or root and capable of developing into a new plant
b
: harvest
2
: something made by cutting
especially : record sense 4
3
: self-harm in which a person purposely cuts or scratches the skin
She [a young woman identified as "Kristen"] took occasional advantage of college-offered therapy in her sophomore year but also continued to cut herself. "For me—and for all the other cutters I know—cutting isn't about self-esteem, it's about control," Kristin explained. "… Cutting can be—and was for me—a cry for help: 'Look at me—I hurt so much I'm bleeding—help me stop this pain!'
Barrett Seaman
Barrett Seamancutting
2 of 2adjective
1
: given to or designed for cutting
especially : sharp, edged
2
: marked by sharp piercing cold
cutting winds
3
: inclined or likely to wound the feelings of others especially because of a ruthless incisiveness
a cutting remark
4
: intense, piercing
a cutting pain
cuttingly
ˈkə-tiŋ-lē
adverb 
Synonyms
Noun
- cut
- slice
Adjective
- biting
- bitter
- keen
- penetrating
- piercing
- raw
- sharp
- shrewd
- smarting
- stinging
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun Take some cuttings from the plant and put them in water. a bag full of grass cuttings Adjective He made a cutting remark about my family, and I haven't spoken to him since. a frigid day with a cutting wind that made it seem even colder
Recent Examples on the Web Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2022 My hope was that Val, who had been a debater on the notoriously experimental Texas circuit, might teach me the most cutting-edge tactics. Tess Mcnulty, Harper’s Magazine , 17 Aug. 2022 The firm produces the world’s most cutting-edge chips, making semiconductors that Americans depend on every day to power their iPhones, medical equipment, and fighter jets. Grady Mcgregor, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2022 Blades for a cutting surgical tool that cost less than $100 were billed for more than $600. Stat Staff, STAT, 4 Jan. 2022 Hold the pineapple steady with your non-cutting hand and slice downwards about ¼-inch into the rind to remove the spiky top of the pineapple. Meredith Stettner, Bon Appétit, 25 Apr. 2022 Companies can buy the most cutting-edge technologies, but those technologies will not be worth the investment without reliable data and proper data management tools and practices in place. Anupam Nandwana, Forbes, 27 May 2022 Subsequent benchmarks were accompanied by technological breakthroughs, exemplifying the venue’s commitment to the most cutting-edge presentation possible. Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 18 May 2022 Deliberately, director Gareth Edwards' effort is rough around the edges, hectic in its cross-cutting but increasingly effective as kinetic cinema. Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2022 See More
Adjective
In a sense, Ralph was not the most cutting-edge choice. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2022 My hope was that Val, who had been a debater on the notoriously experimental Texas circuit, might teach me the most cutting-edge tactics. Tess Mcnulty, Harper’s Magazine , 17 Aug. 2022 The firm produces the world’s most cutting-edge chips, making semiconductors that Americans depend on every day to power their iPhones, medical equipment, and fighter jets. Grady Mcgregor, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2022 Blades for a cutting surgical tool that cost less than $100 were billed for more than $600. Stat Staff, STAT, 4 Jan. 2022 Hold the pineapple steady with your non-cutting hand and slice downwards about ¼-inch into the rind to remove the spiky top of the pineapple. Meredith Stettner, Bon Appétit, 25 Apr. 2022 Companies can buy the most cutting-edge technologies, but those technologies will not be worth the investment without reliable data and proper data management tools and practices in place. Anupam Nandwana, Forbes, 27 May 2022 Subsequent benchmarks were accompanied by technological breakthroughs, exemplifying the venue’s commitment to the most cutting-edge presentation possible. Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 18 May 2022 Deliberately, director Gareth Edwards' effort is rough around the edges, hectic in its cross-cutting but increasingly effective as kinetic cinema. Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Adjective
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing cutting
Kids Definition
cutting
noun
cut·ting ˈkə-tiŋ
: a part (as a shoot) of a plant able to grow into a whole new plant
cutting 1 of 3
adjective
1
as in biting
causing intense discomfort to one's skin a frigid day with a cutting wind that made it seem even colder Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- biting
- sharp
- piercing
- penetrating
- bitter
- stinging
- keen
- brisk
- raw
- smarting
- shrewd
- invigorating
- caustic
- tingling
- corrosive
- snappy
- needlelike
- prickly
- nippy
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- gentle
- mild
- soothing
- balmy
2
as in sharpened
having an edge thin enough to cut or pierce something the cutting side of the sword blade Synonyms & Similar Words
- sharpened
- sharp
- ground
- edged
- stropped
- jagged
- stabbing
- piercing
- honed
- jabbing
- scratching
- trenchant
- edgy
- whetted
- keen
- lacerating
- knifelike
- clawlike
- daggerlike
- spiky
- pointed
- pointy
- spikey
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- blunt
- smooth
- dull
- rounded
- soft
- flat
- blunted
- even
- obtuse
- level
- dulled
- slick
3
as in satiric
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings her cutting comments serve only one purpose: to make someone cry Synonyms & Similar Words
- satiric
- sarcastic
- biting
- barbed
- acid
- satirical
- acidic
- caustic
- sharp
- scalding
- scathing
- corrosive
- cross
- tart
- mordant
- sardonic
- acrid
- acerbic
- blunt
- pungent
- snarky
- harsh
- ironic
- spiky
- dry
- acidulous
- sour
- cynical
- concise
- acerb
- incisive
- spikey
- severe
- trenchant
- brisk
- smart-aleck
- smart-alecky
- tartish
- keen
- smart-mouthed
- abrupt
- ironical
- crisp
- flippant
- stringent
- poignant
- curt
- rough
- pithy
- brusque
- facetious
- wry
- bitter
- acrimonious
- sourish
- resentful
- gruff
- backhanded
- vitriolic
- succinct
- terse
- sharp-tongued
- insincere
- snippy
- brusk
- snippety
- tongue-in-cheek
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- gentle
- amusing
- mild
- merry
- playful
- smooth
- droll
- sportive
- waggish
- diplomatic
- bland
- polite
- suave
- cordial
- hospitable
- urbane
- genial
- gracious
- good-natured
- sociable
- good-humored
- affable
cutting
2 of 3noun
as in slice
a piece that has been separated from the whole by cutting a bag full of grass cuttings Synonyms & Similar Words
- slice
- cut
- portion
- length
- chop
- segment
- section
- shaving
- clipping
- part
- chunk
- paring
- sliver
- splinter
- cutlet
- hunk
- snippet
- lump
cutting
3 of 3verb
1
as in slicing
to penetrate with a sharp edge (as a knife) I cut my hand on a piece of broken glass Synonyms & Similar Words
- slicing
- slitting
- slashing
- ripping
- splitting
- chopping
- stabbing
- sawing
- shearing
- piercing
- bruising
- incising
- gashing
- tearing
- carving
- severing
- cleaving
- crosscutting
- chipping
- dissecting
- hacksawing
- scissoring
- butchering
- sectioning
- mangling
- riving
- rending
- chiseling
- lacerating
- hacking
- dicing
- notching
- mincing
- amputating
- haggling
- chiselling
- cutting off
- anatomizing
2
as in skipping
to fail to attend a warning that she had been cutting too many classes without valid excuses Synonyms & Similar Words
- skipping
- missing
- ignoring
- playing hooky
- blowing off
- absenting oneself
- neglecting
- passing over
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- attending
- showing up (for)
3
as in isolating
to deliberately ignore or treat rudely the snobbish lady cut anyone who didn't meet her standards of wealth and social standing Synonyms & Similar Words
- isolating
- rejecting
- snubbing
- stiffing
- neglecting
- slighting
- repelling
- forgetting
- repulsing
- ostracizing
- spurning
- disregarding
- high-hatting
- stiff-arming
- scorning
- disdaining
- cold-shouldering
- overlooking
- rebuffing
- passing over
- shrugging off
- overpassing
- brushing (aside or off)
4
as in shaving
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument when you cut the pad, make it a little smaller than the carpet Synonyms & Similar Words
- shaving
- clipping
- trimming
- mowing
- pruning
- paring
- shearing
- snipping
- cropping
- bobbing
- cutting back
- docking
- polling
- whittling
- nipping
- shortening
- lopping (off)
- manicuring
- skiving
- curtailing
- pinching
- stumping
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- extending
- lengthening
- elongating
5
as in mowing
to shorten the standing leafy plant cover of you need to cut the lawn very soon—before it becomes a jungle Synonyms & Similar Words
- mowing
- shaving
- pruning
- clipping
- trimming
- paring
- cropping
- curtailing
- lopping
- shearing
- hacking
- snipping
- manicuring
- docking
- cutting back
- bobbing
- nipping
6
as in diluting
to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances the fruit juice was so cut with water that it was barely a fruit-flavored drink Synonyms & Similar Words
- diluting
- loading
- thinning
- polluting
- manipulating
- infecting
- weakening
- dirtying
- poisoning
- extending
- adulterating
- spoiling
- sophisticating
- watering down
- contaminating
- tainting
- degrading
- lacing
- soiling
- tempering
- spiking
- corrupting
- debasing
- misrepresenting
- sullying
- fouling
- defiling
- falsifying
- moderating
- attenuating
- cheapening
- fudging
- doctoring
- befouling
- counterfeiting
- faking
- envenoming
- qualifying
- tampering (with)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- strengthening
- reinforcing
- fertilizing
- augmenting
- cleaning
- enriching
- improving
- supplementing
- purging
- fortifying
- refining
- enhancing
- purifying
- cleansing
- reenforcing
- larding
- filtering
- flushing
- richening
- clarifying
- leaching
- distilling
- concentrating
- condensing
- decontaminating
- compacting
- pasteurizing
- bettering
7
as in veering
to depart abruptly from a straight line or course cut towards the goal, eluding a defender Synonyms & Similar Words
- veering
- turning
- breaking
- curving
- circling
- bowing
- bending
- swerving
- sheering
- sweeping
- wandering
- weaving
- twisting
- zagging
- curling
- yawing
- arching
- rounding
- skewing
- pivoting
- zigging
- hooking
- looping
- spiraling
- winding
- coiling
- zigzagging
- arcing
- sluing
- deviating
- crooking
- slewing
- wheeling
- spiralling
- about-facing
- wavering
- straying
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- straightening
8
as in intersecting
to divide by passing through or across a long mountain range virtually cuts that country in half Synonyms & Similar Words
- intersecting
- crossing
- bisecting
- crisscrossing
- decussating
9
as in analyzing
to identify and examine the basic elements or parts of (something) especially for discovering interrelationships whichever way you cut it, we won't be seeing any profits from the business for at least three years Synonyms & Similar Words
- analyzing
- dissecting
- examining
- assessing
- dividing
- deconstructing
- diagnosing
- investigating
- evaluating
- reducing
- inspecting
- anatomizing
- assaying
- scrutinizing
- arranging
- classifying
- sorting
- separating
- indexing
- tabulating
- breaking down
- categorizing
- ordering
- cataloging
- assorting
- segmenting
- subdividing
- codifying
- schematizing
- diagramming
- enumerating
- diagraming
- cataloguing
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- consolidating
- integrating
- aggregating
- synthesizing
- amalgamating
- assimilating
- unifying
- coalescing
- agglomerating
- conglomerating