Biting means using your teeth to cut into or grip something. When you take a bite of an apple, you're biting into it. Dogs might give a gentle, playful bite during a game, or a mosquito might leave an itchy spot after biting your arm.

The word also describes something sharp and harsh in a non-physical way. Biting cold cuts through your jacket on a winter morning, making you shiver. Biting wind stings your face. When someone makes a biting remark, their words are deliberately sharp and hurtful, cutting into someone's feelings. A comedian might use biting humor that pokes fun at serious subjects in a clever but harsh way.

Biting criticism is especially severe and pointed. If your teacher offers biting feedback on an essay, the comments might be accurate but delivered in a way that stings. This kind of biting sharpness can be effective at making a point, but it can also wound unnecessarily. The word captures that quality of sharpness, whether it's teeth breaking through an apple's skin, winter air piercing your coat, or words that cut deeper than ordinary criticism.