- a variation of sere.
sear
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
sears,
present (3rd person singular)
-
seared,
past participle, past
-
searing
present participle
-
to burn or char the surface of.
She seared the steak to seal in the juices.
-
to mark with a branding iron.
-
to burn or scorch injuriously or painfully.
He seared his hand on a hot steam pipe.
-
to harden or scar emotionally.
The traumatic experiences of her youth have permanently seared her.
-
to dry up or wither; parch.
verb (used without object)
-
sears,
present (3rd person singular)
-
seared,
past participle, past
-
searing
present participle
noun
adjective
noun
verb
-
to scorch or burn the surface of
-
to brand with a hot iron
-
to cause to wither or dry up
-
rare to make callous or unfeeling
noun
adjective
noun
Synonym Usage
See burn 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
searsimple
-
searssimple
-
have searedperfect
-
has searedperfect
-
am searingprogressive
-
are searingprogressive
-
is searingprogressive
-
have been searingperfect progressive
-
has been searingperfect progressive
Past
-
searedsimple
-
had searedperfect
-
was searingprogressive
-
were searingprogressive
-
had been searingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of sear1
First recorded before 900; Middle English adjective ser(e), Old English sēar; cognate with Dutch zoor; the verb is derivative of the adjective
Origin of sear2
First recorded in 1550–60; from Middle French serre “a grip,” derivative of serrer “to lock up, close,” ultimately from Late Latin serāre “to bar (a door)”
Explanation
To sear something is to quickly cook or burn its surface by applying intense heat. When making beef stew, the color and flavor are usually better if you sear the meat first. Sear comes from the Old English word searian which meant “dry up” or “wither.” Typically, the verb sear now refers to burning or scorching something with heat, but if you see the phrase “wind-seared,” it means that a place — or something left in that place — has been withered by exposure to the elements. An unpleasant image can be seared into your memory, meaning you can't forget it.
Vocabulary lists containing sear
Figurative Language in King's "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)
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Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)
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Refugee
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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.
See Examples For:
A private chef will roast asparagus and sear rib-eyes for dinner.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026
Season the skirt steak with salt and black pepper, then sear in batches until deeply browned around the edges, about 2–3 minutes per side.
From Salon ● May 19, 2026
In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil and sear the ribs evenly, making sure they’re nice and brown on all sides, before transferring them to a plate.
From Salon ● Feb. 20, 2026
“I can still put your sear marks on your steak or burger with an infrared grill that’s fully electric,” said Langerud.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 8, 2025
She tried to sear that beautiful sight on her memory as a shield to the ugliness that she now knew was about to happen.
From "Copper Sun" by Sharon M. Draper
He continues to haunt them, leading to an arresting finale that sears the wounds felt by a ghost who never found the easier life he desired.
From New York Times ● Jan. 26, 2024
Officers purchased multiple auto sears throughout the course of the investigation, according to police.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 29, 2023
“The sears make the weapon very difficult to aim. Consequently, these rounds spray all over the place and are indiscriminate and it’s very, very dangerous for our community,” Barden said.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 5, 2023
Love that sears and scars, like the pitiless expanses of the Sahara.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 24, 2023
It scorches my blood and sears my thoughts.
From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell
It carries an image of a windmill in a field "seared by the heat" in Warwickshire.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
Chung’s favorite dishes were prime rib and tri-tip that a chef seared to his preferred doneness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
There’s no way Clayton’s very seared salmon with watermelon radish can top a Jean-Georges chocolate mousse.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026
The skirt steak gets seared first until deeply browned, leaving behind savory crisped bits on the bottom of the skillet that become the foundation of the entire dish.
From Salon ● May 19, 2026
The arresting officer was named Donald Lima, and this name, Donald Lima, seared itself into her mind.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
When Tiedemann posted clips on social media of her whipping up seafood pastas and searing rib-eyes, she became an overnight sensation, as much for her bawdy, uninhibited personality as her culinary prowess.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
Wide swaths of California will face searing temperatures over the weekend, with forecasters issuing a heat advisory for non-coastal areas and warning about the risk of adverse fire weather.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
The country has been sweltering in a streak of searing weather -- new all-time highs were set three times over the past week alone, peaking at 42.5C on Sunday.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
Take this perfect steak, she says, and no—don’t prepare it in the conventional way, searing in a hot pan and finishing in the oven.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
The bronze surface was searing hot, but Leo didn’t care.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
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.
