smoking
gb/smˈoʊkɪŋ/ us/smˈoʊkɪŋ/
A2
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
action
1
using cigarettes or tobacco
The habit of using cigarettes, cigars, or a pipe.
Usage pattern:
smoking; stop/quit/give up smoking; smoking [cigarettes/tobacco]
Common mistake:
“Smoking” is usually uncountable for the habit: say “Smoking is harmful,” not “A smoking is harmful.”
Synonyms
tobacco use (more formal and often used in health contexts; can be broader than smoking only)
|
tobacco smoking (more specific to tobacco products)
Antonyms
not smoking (the absence of the habit or action of smoking)
|
non-smoking (describes a person who does not smoke or a place where smoking is not allowed)
Collocations
quit smoking
|stop smoking
|give up smoking
|smoking habit
|heavy smoking
|cigarette smoking
|smoking indoors
|smoking in public
|smoking causes cancer
|smoking ban
Themes
core_vocabulary
|daily_life
|health
|society
Examples
- Smoking is not allowed in the restaurant.
- She gave up smoking last year.
- The doctor asked him about his smoking.
Learner examples
- Smoking is bad for your health.
- He wants to stop smoking.
- My father quit smoking.
adjective
B1
property
2
giving off smoke
Making smoke or having smoke coming from it.
Usage pattern:
[something] is smoking; a smoking [thing]
Common mistake:
Do not confuse “smoking” with “smoky.” A “smoking pan” is producing smoke; a “smoky room” is full of smoke.
Synonyms
smoky (often means full of smoke rather than actively producing it)
|
smoldering (means burning slowly with smoke and little or no flame)
Collocations
a smoking pan
|smoking ruins
|smoking wreckage
|a smoking chimney
|a smoking volcano
|still smoking
|smoking ashes
Themes
daily_life
|nature
|weather
Examples
- The pan was smoking, so I turned down the heat.
- Firefighters walked through the smoking ruins.
- A smoking chimney rose above the old house.
Learner examples
- The pan is smoking.
- We saw a smoking fire.
- The car was smoking badly.
Noun
B2
process
3
flavoring food with smoke
Using smoke to give food flavor or help preserve it.
Usage pattern:
smoking [food]; the smoking of [food]; hot/cold smoking
Synonyms
smoke-curing (more technical; emphasizes preservation as well as flavor)
|
curing (broader; can include non-smoke methods of preserving food)
Collocations
hot smoking
|cold smoking
|smoking meat
|smoking fish
|smoking cheese
|wood smoking
|smoking process
|smoking chamber
|smoking chips
Themes
food_drink
|daily_life
Examples
- Smoking gives the cheese a deep, rich flavor.
- Cold smoking is used for some kinds of salmon.
- The recipe explains smoking meat at a low temperature.
Learner examples
- Smoking fish adds flavor.
- We learned about smoking meat.
- The smoking takes three hours.
adjective
B1
property
4
where smoking is allowed
For people who want to smoke, or where smoking is allowed.
Usage pattern:
smoking [area/room/section/lounge]
Common mistake:
Use “non-smoking” or “smoke-free” for places where people cannot smoke, not “no smoking” before every noun.
Synonyms
smoking-permitted (explicitly says that smoking is allowed)
|
smoker-friendly (broader and less official; suggests smokers are welcome)
Antonyms
non-smoking (describes a place where smoking is not allowed)
|
smoke-free (emphasizes that a place is kept free from tobacco smoke)
Collocations
smoking area
|smoking room
|smoking section
|smoking lounge
|smoking carriage
|designated smoking area
Themes
daily_life
|travel
|health
Examples
- Is there a smoking area outside the terminal?
- The hotel no longer offers smoking rooms.
- He asked for a table in the smoking section.
Learner examples
- Where is the smoking area?
- This is not a smoking room.
- They went to the smoking lounge.
Grammar
Dictionary form
smoking
IPA
GB/smˈoʊkɪŋ/
US/smˈoʊkɪŋ/
Syllables & stress
smoking (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (smoking)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: smoking
- Plural: smoking
Expressions
chain smoking
1/t͡ʃˈeɪn smˈoʊkɪŋ/
fixed phrase
continuous heavy smoking
Smoking many cigarettes one after another.
Examples
- He was chain smoking outside the hospital.
- Years of chain smoking damaged her lungs.
- The detective’s chain smoking became part of the character’s image.
no smoking
1/nˈoʊ smˈoʊkɪŋ/
fixed phrase
smoking not allowed
You must not smoke here.
Examples
- The sign on the door says “No smoking.”
- No smoking is allowed anywhere inside the hospital.
- There is a strict no-smoking rule in all company vehicles.
passive smoking
1/pˈæsɪv smˈoʊkɪŋ/
fixed phrase
breathing other people’s cigarette smoke
Breathing in smoke from other people’s cigarettes when you are near them, even if you do not smoke.
Examples
- Passive smoking can cause serious health problems in children.
- The new law aims to protect workers from passive smoking in bars and restaurants.
passive smoking
1/pˈæsɪv smˈoʊkɪŋ/
fixed phrase
breathing others’ smoke
Breathing smoke from other people’s cigarettes.
Examples
- Passive smoking can increase health risks for children.
- The new law was meant to reduce passive smoking in workplaces.
- She worries about passive smoking when people smoke near the door.
smoking ban
1/smˈoʊkɪŋ bˈæn/
fixed phrase
rule against smoking
A rule that says people cannot smoke somewhere.
Examples
- The city introduced a smoking ban in bars and restaurants.
- The smoking ban applies to all public buildings.
- Many workers supported the indoor smoking ban.
smoking cessation
1/smˈoʊkɪŋ sˌɛsˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
the act of quitting smoking
The act of stopping smoking cigarettes or other tobacco products.
Examples
- The clinic runs a free smoking cessation program for local residents.
- Governments promote smoking cessation to reduce healthcare costs and improve public health.
smoking cessation
1/smˈoʊkɪŋ sˌɛsˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
formal
process of quitting smoking
Stopping smoking, often with help from a doctor or program.
Examples
- The clinic offers smoking cessation programs.
- Nicotine patches can help with smoking cessation.
- Her doctor referred her to a smoking cessation service.
smoking gun
1/smˈoʊkɪŋ ɡˈʌn/
idiom
clear evidence of guilt or crime
Strong proof that someone has done something bad or illegal.
Examples
- The email was the smoking gun that proved his involvement.
- The email was the smoking gun that proved the CEO knew about the fraud.
- Investigators found no smoking gun linking her to the crime.
- Investigators are still searching for a smoking gun in the case.
smoking gun
1/smˈoʊkɪŋ ɡˈʌn/
idiom
clear proof of wrongdoing
A fact or object that clearly proves something.
Examples
- The emails were the smoking gun in the investigation.
- Police searched the apartment but found no smoking gun.
- For critics, the leaked recording was a smoking gun.
smoking hot
1/smˈoʊkɪŋ hˈɑt/
idiom
informal
very hot or attractive
Very hot, or informally very attractive.
Examples
- Be careful—the pan is smoking hot.
- She looked smoking hot in that black suit.
- The band released a smoking hot new track.
what are you smoking?
1/wˈʌt ˈɑɹ jˈu smˈoʊkɪŋ ‖/
idiom
informal
mocking unrealistic idea
Used to say someone’s idea sounds crazy or impossible.
Examples
- You think we can finish this by lunch? What are you smoking?
- When he predicted an easy win, fans asked what he was smoking.
- If they think people will pay that much, what are they smoking?