- 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.
“The whole system was, in a sense, just boiling — primed and ready to release all of that stored up energy come January 7th,” he said at a Thursday press briefing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
When materials undergo major changes, such as water boiling or a magnet losing its magnetism, very different systems can sometimes start behaving according to the same mathematical rules.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026
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
So many animals started thrashing through the waves that the ocean seemed to be boiling over.
From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown
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.
