- present participle of boil.
boiling
Americanadjective
-
having reached the boiling point; steaming or bubbling up under the action of heat.
boiling water.
-
fiercely churning or swirling.
the boiling seas.
-
(of anger, rage, etc.) intense; fierce; heated.
adverb
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of boiling
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; boil 1 + -ing 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Instead of cooking the pasta separately, Meghan puts it directly on top of tomatoes with some lemon zest and greens, then pours boiling water over the whole mixture.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Parboil the rice: Cook the rice in generously salted boiling water for 8 minutes.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
Together, they create the Sun's granulation, a constantly changing pattern that resembles bubbles in a boiling liquid.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 8, 2026
"When I returned to the area, I stepped on a boiling hot patch of sand, and had to be carried off the beach," he added.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
From months of training they were able to eat their hoosh boiling hot.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
