broil
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
to cook by direct heat, as on a gridiron over the heat or in an oven under the heat; grill.
to broil a steak.
-
to scorch; make very hot.
verb (used without object)
-
to be subjected to great heat; become broiled.
-
to burn with impatience, annoyance, etc.
noun
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the act or state of broiling; state of being broiled.
-
something broiled, especially meat.
She ordered a beef broil and salad.
noun
verb (used without object)
verb
-
Usual equivalent (in Britain and other countries): grill. to cook (meat, fish, etc) by direct heat, as under a grill or over a hot fire, or (of meat, fish, etc) to be cooked in this way
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to become or cause to become extremely hot
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(intr) to be furious
noun
-
the process of broiling
-
something broiled
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of broil1
1300–50; Middle English brulen, brolyn, broillen < Anglo-French bruill ( i ) er, broil ( l ) er, Old French brusler, brul ( l ) er to burn ( French brûler ), a conflation of the verbs represented by Old French bruir to burn (< Frankish *brōjan; compare Middle High German brü ( ej ) en, German brühen to scald) and usler < Latin ustulāre to scorch
Origin of broil2
1400–50; late Middle English broylen to present in disorder, quarrel < Anglo-French, Old French broiller to jumble together < Gallo-Romance *brodiculāre, equivalent to *brod- (< Germanic; see broth, brewis) + Late Latin -iculāre v. suffix
Explanation
To broil is to cook something with direct exposure to fire. Broiling is similar to grilling, but you can also oven broil your steak if it's raining out. Have you ever had a cookout? If so, someone was probably heating up hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill. This is a type of broiling. Broiling involves direct exposure to a flame. You can broil with a grill, a campfire, and with many types of stoves. You can also say that cooking by broiling is a broil (the noun). People like to get a broil going, especially in the summer.
Vocabulary lists containing broil
Blanch, Poach, and Scald: Cooking Methods
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Term-ometer: Synonyms for "Hot"
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"The Tragedy of Macbeth," Vocabulary from Act 1
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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.
If you’d like extra color, broil for 2 to 3 minutes at the end, watching carefully.
From Salon • Mar. 11, 2026
An early-season heat wave will broil much of inland California this week, with highs set to top 100 from the Antelope Valley to the Sacramento Valley.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2024
Sprinkle evenly with the coconut, then broil until deeply toasted, 10 to 20 seconds.
From Washington Times • Sep. 13, 2023
Capital Beijing is expected to broil in 37-39°C temperatures until Saturday, and the Tianjin Meteorological Observatory raised its warning level to red with temperatures expected to hit 40°C.
From Reuters • Jun. 16, 2023
Then you’re left to slowly broil in your own juices.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
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.
