parched

American  

[pahrcht] / pɑrtʃt /

adjective

1. extremely or completely dried, as by heat, sun, or wind.

   Dry shrubs cover parts of this parched valley in the South Hebron Hills.

2. very thirsty.

   After each shift in the ship’s engine room, I was dead tired and totally parched, needing large amounts of water.

3. (of peas, beans, grains, etc.) slightly toasted or roasted.

   The village folk customarily have one meal a day of parched grains, so there is always a crowd around the old widow’s oven.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of parch.

Other Word Forms

• parchedly adverb
• parchedness noun
• unparched adjective

Etymology

Origin of parched

parch ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

She tossed her head and heaved herself through the foam, ignoring the sticks and rocks that beat against her legs, ignoring the urge to stop and fill her parched mouth.

From Literature

The first death of the season occurred on Christmas Day, after a storm dumped more than five feet of fresh snow on the previously parched resort.

From Los Angeles Times

The sight of water in the parched desert unsettles your perceptions.

From Los Angeles Times

My throat was parched, and my belly growled.

From Literature

She had been strolling down the Walk of Fame, parched after taking a three-hour guided tour of Los Angeles, when the bright red store colors caught her eye.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• arid
• scorched
• thirsty
• withered