searing

[seer-ing]

adjective

1. serving to burn or char the surface of something, especially of food in order to seal in the juices before cooking.

   Sizzle the rump steak over white-hot coals, under a searing grill, or in a blistering griddle pan.

2. burning or scorching.

   The charge exploded prematurely and the truck was engulfed in searing flames.

3. sharp, penetrating, and severe, like the feeling of being burned.

   For weeks now I’ve been waking up in the middle of the night with searing pain in my ankles.

   Her recent documentary was a searing indictment of the crimes of Stalinism.

4. withering or parching.

   Grass that’s allowed to grow long is like a living mulch, protecting and shielding the root system from the searing heat of summer.

5. leaving a permanent emotional scar.

   He was never to recover from the searing experience of what he saw in the war.

noun

1. the act of burning or charring the surface of something, especially of food.

   The searing of the vegetables and meat should be done over a very hot burner and with excellent ventilation.

2. the act of branding or marking with a hot iron.

   One of his arms was branded like that of a convict, the flesh still swollen from the searing of the iron.

3. the act of hardening or scarring emotionally, or the resulting condition.

   Were it not for the searing of their conscience, they would realize that what they’re doing is wrong.

4. sharp, penetrating, severe pain.

   I tried to ignore the searing in my muscles after hours of paddling against the current.

Word History and Origins

Origin of searing¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; sear ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; sear ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses

Example Sentences

He then talks about the "sound historical reasons" for this realisation: "For those of us who lived through the Great Depression, the memory of the suffering it caused is deep and searing."

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Modern white supremacy burns through the exhibition, both as searing illumination of its vile contours and as clenched fury at its intractable endurance.

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Still, “The Circle,” which received the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, remains a searing indictment.

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Other tracks include “Just a Little,” strutting to a Rolling Stones-ish riff, and the bluesy, moody “Go on Down to Mobile,” with a brief but searing guitar solo that is recognizably his.

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Nae Campbell, a longtime customer, recalled how this "good woman" could be found vending year-round, whether in searing heat or Chicago's famously bitter cold.

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Related Words

• baking 
• blazing 
• blistering 
• fiery 
• incandescent 
• scalding www.thesaurus.com
• scorching 
• sizzling 
• sweltering 
• torrid