scorch

American  

[skawrch] / skɔrtʃ /

verb (used with object)

1. to affect the color, taste, etc., of by burning slightly.

   The collar of the shirt was yellow where the iron had scorched it.

   Synonyms:

   blister, char

2. to parch or shrivel with heat.

   The sun scorched the grass.

3. to criticize severely.

   Synonyms:

   condemn, excoriate

   Antonyms:

   laud

4. Machinery. burn.

5. to destroy (crops, towns, etc.) by or as if by fire in the path of an invading army's advance.

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verb (used without object)

1. to become scorched.

   Milk scorches easily.

2. Informal. to travel or drive at high speed.

   The car scorched along the highway.

noun

1. a superficial burn.

scorch British  

/ skɔːtʃ /

verb

1. to burn or become burnt, so as to affect the colour, taste, etc, or to cause or feel pain

2. to wither or parch or cause to wither from exposure to heat

3. informal (intr) to be very hot

   it is scorching outside

4. informal (tr) to criticize harshly

5. slang (intr) to drive or ride very fast

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noun

1. a slight burn

2. a mark caused by the application of too great heat

3. horticulture a mark or series of marks on fruit, vegetables, etc, caused by pests or insecticides

Related Words

See burn ¹.

Other Word Forms

• scorching adjective
• unscorched adjective
• well-scorched adjective

Etymology

Origin of scorch

1400–50; late Middle English scorchen, perhaps blend of scorcnen (< Scandinavian; compare Old Norse skorpna to shrivel) and torch ¹

Example Sentences

“In a physical attack, you can crash into drones, trap them in a net or scorch them with a laser,” said Andres Gomez, an electronics engineer at Aeronautical Industry.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 30, 2025

"How are you going to know that's overheating or that there's a faulty cable or a faulty connection or scorch marks or anything on that plug if you can't see it?"

From BBC • Dec. 20, 2025

All eyes then turned on the final racer, the 25-year-old Braathen keeping his calm to scorch through to a historic victory for his adopted homeland.

From Barron's • Nov. 16, 2025

Al-Khatib looked at the scorch marks on the ceiling then shook his head at the ruins before him.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 9, 2025

Victarion did not like this sea, nor these endless cloudless skies, nor the blazing sun that beat down on their heads and baked the decks until the boards were hot enough to scorch bare feet.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

Related Words

• bake
• blacken
• char
• melt
• parch
• sear