broil

¹ American  

[broil] / brɔɪl /

verb (used with object)

1. to cook by direct heat, as on a gridiron over the heat or in an oven under the heat; grill.

   to broil a steak.

2. to scorch; make very hot.

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verb (used without object)

1. to be subjected to great heat; become broiled.

2. to burn with impatience, annoyance, etc.

noun

1. the act or state of broiling; state of being broiled.

2. something broiled, especially meat.

   She ordered a beef broil and salad.

broil ² American  

[broil] / brɔɪl /

noun

1. an angry quarrel or struggle; disturbance; tumult.

   a violent broil over who was at fault.

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verb (used without object)

1. to quarrel; brawl.

broil ¹ British  

/ brɔɪl /

verb

1. 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

2. to become or cause to become extremely hot

3. (intr) to be furious

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noun

1. the process of broiling

2. something broiled

broil ² British  

/ brɔɪl /

noun

1. a loud quarrel or disturbance; brawl

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verb

1. (intr) to brawl; quarrel

Other Word Forms

• broilingly adverb

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; 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.

Example Sentences

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

The dough is slightly blistered but stretchy, and turning the oven on broil for the last two minutes of the bake ensures the cheese is perfectly blistered.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 28, 2023

Brush lightly with the soy-maple mixture, then broil until lightly charred, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

From Washington Times • Aug. 11, 2023

Wagons and carriages rumbled down the streets, stirring up clouds of flies from the manure left to broil in the July sun.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Related Words

• roast
• sear