adjective
Common
splitting
SPLIH-tihng
Splitting (adjective) means Extremely painful, especially describing a headache. Example: “She had a splitting headache after the noisy concert.”
adjective
1
Extremely painful, especially describing a headache.
"She had a splitting headache after the noisy concert."
"I woke up with a splitting headache and had to lie in a dark room."
"The noise from the building site gave him a splitting pain behind the eyes."
noun
1
The process of dividing something into parts.
"The splitting of the company into two divisions took months."
"The splitting of the cake into eight equal pieces was harder than it looked."
"Splitting the large class into small groups helped everyone take part."
How to use splitting
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the act of dividing something, or (as an adjective) intensely painful, as in "splitting headache."
Common pairings
splitting headache
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Word forms
- Plural
- splittings
- Comparative
- more splitting
- Superlative
- most splitting
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She had a _____ headache after the noisy concert.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for splitting
fitting
sitting
hitting
pitting
knitting
shitting
quitting
spitting
flitting
slitting
admitting
befitting
See all rhymes for splitting →
Frequently asked questions
What does “splitting” mean?
The word “splitting” means extremely painful, especially describing a headache. In plain terms, either the act of dividing something, or (as an adjective) intensely painful, as in "splitting headache.".
How do you pronounce “splitting”?
“Splitting” is pronounced SPLIH-tihng (/ˈsplɪtɪŋ/ in IPA).
How do you use “splitting” in a sentence?
Here is “splitting” used in a sentence: “She had a splitting headache after the noisy concert.”
What part of speech is “splitting”?
Depending on how it is used, “splitting” can be an adjective and a noun.
Is “splitting” a common word?
“Splitting” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “splitting” have?
“Splitting” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: extremely painful, especially describing a headache.
Why is a bad headache called a "splitting headache"?
A "splitting headache" describes pain so intense it feels as though the head is being split apart. The adjective "splitting" here means extremely painful rather than literally dividing anything. It is a common, mostly informal way to emphasize headache severity.
What is the difference between "splitting" as a noun and "splitting" as an adjective?
As a noun, "splitting" refers to the process of dividing something into parts, such as splitting wood or splitting a bill. As an adjective, it describes extreme pain, especially in phrases like "a splitting headache." The two uses come from the same root verb but function differently in a sentence.
Can "splitting" describe pain other than headaches?
While "splitting" is most strongly associated with headaches, it can occasionally describe other sharp, intense pains by extension. However, "splitting headache" is by far the most common and fixed collocation. Using "splitting" with other body parts is less natural and rarely heard.
