scarring

Meanings

1. 1noununcountablemedical

   Marks left on the skin or in tissue after a wound or illness has healed.

   Grammar: Singular, no article: the scarring was minor.

   Patterns

   • scarring on something
   • scarring from something

   The burn healed with very little scarring.

   Doctors noted scarring on his lungs.

   Acne can leave permanent scarring.

2. 2noununcountablefigurative

   Lasting emotional or psychological damage caused by a harmful experience.

   Grammar: Figurative: emotional scarring.

   Patterns

   • scarring from something

   The war left deep emotional scarring on the community.

   Years of bullying caused lasting scarring.

3. 3verbtransitive

   Leaving a scar, or marking something with a lasting damaged line, as the -ing form of scar.

   Grammar: Takes an object: the wound is scarring his arm.

   Patterns

   • scar someone
   • scar something

   The knife was scarring the table with deep lines.

   The accident is scarring her face.

Word forms

Common combinations

minimal scarring

The surgery left minimal scarring.

permanent scarring

Without treatment there may be permanent scarring.

emotional scarring

The divorce caused emotional scarring.

lung scarring

The scan showed lung scarring.

risk of scarring

There is a small risk of scarring.

Synonyms and how they differ

marking

Marking is general for any visible mark, while scarring means lasting marks after healing.

blemish

Blemish is a flaw on skin that may fade, while scarring is permanent.

disfigurement

Disfigurement is more severe and spoils appearance, while scarring may be slight.

Opposites

Word family

scar noun

a mark left on skin after a wound has healed

scar verb

to leave a mark on skin or damage someone emotionally

scarred adjective

marked by scars

scarless adjective

without any scars

Commonly confused: scarring or scaring?

Practice

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