Word.ws English Dictionary

scratching an itch

scratching an itch is the present participle and gerund of scratch an itch.

Meaning of scratch an itch

Verb

scratch an itch (third-person singular simple present scratches an itch, present participle scratching an itch, simple past and past participle scratched an itch)

  1. (idiomatic) To satisfy a need or desire.
    • Near-synonyms: hit the spot, hit the button
  2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see scratch, itch.

Questions about scratching an itch

What is scratching an itch the present participle and gerund of?
Scratching an itch is the present participle and gerund of scratch an itch.

Words near scratching an itch in the dictionary

  1. scratchily
  2. scratchin'
  3. scratchiness
  4. scratching
  5. scratching a living
  6. scratching an itch
  7. scratching below the surface
  8. scratching beneath the surface
  9. scratching by
  10. scratching one's head
  11. scratching one's own itch

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: scratching an itch (page history and authors); scratch an itch (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this entry: “scratching an itch.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/scratching_an_itch. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.