bland vs smarting

bland

adj
  • Having a soothing effect; not irritating or stimulating. 

  • Lacking in vigor. 

  • bland comment 

  • Lacking in taste or flavor. 

  • Lacking interest; boring; dull. 

verb
  • To mix; blend; mingle. 

  • To connect; associate. 

noun
  • Mixture; union. 

  • A summer beverage prepared from the whey of churned milk, common among the inhabitants of the Shetland Islands. 

smarting

adj
  • Experiencing emotional pain or embarrassment. 

  • Painful, sore. 

noun
  • A sensation that smarts or stings. 

How often have the words bland and smarting occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )