Showing results for "searing"

• present participle of sear.

searing

American  

[seer-ing] / ˈsɪər ɪŋ /

adjective

1. serving to burn or char the surface of something, especially of food in order to seal in the juices before cooking.

   Sizzle the rump steak over white-hot coals, under a searing grill, or in a blistering griddle pan.

2. burning or scorching.

   The charge exploded prematurely and the truck was engulfed in searing flames.

3. sharp, penetrating, and severe, like the feeling of being burned.

   For weeks now I’ve been waking up in the middle of the night with searing pain in my ankles.

   Her recent documentary was a searing indictment of the crimes of Stalinism.

4. withering or parching.

   Grass that’s allowed to grow long is like a living mulch, protecting and shielding the root system from the searing heat of summer.

5. leaving a permanent emotional scar.

   He was never to recover from the searing experience of what he saw in the war.

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noun

1. the act of burning or charring the surface of something, especially of food.

   The searing of the vegetables and meat should be done over a very hot burner and with excellent ventilation.

2. the act of branding or marking with a hot iron.

   One of his arms was branded like that of a convict, the flesh still swollen from the searing of the iron.

3. the act of hardening or scarring emotionally, or the resulting condition.

   Were it not for the searing of their conscience, they would realize that what they’re doing is wrong.

4. sharp, penetrating, severe pain.

   I tried to ignore the searing in my muscles after hours of paddling against the current.

Etymology

Origin of searing

First recorded in 1350–1400; sear ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; sear ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses

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Explanation

When something is intense, it's searing. If you fall while roller skating, the searing pain in your leg is a sign that you've really hurt yourself. Searing comes from the verb sear, "burn or brand." The searing heat of the sun beating down on a sweltering day might make you seek relief in the icy cold ocean — it's that powerful. This adjective usually describes extreme heat or pain, but you can also use it for similarly intense criticism. Don't let your debate opponent's searing rebuttal fluster you!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

searing

Stateside listeners will be delighted to learn that the edition concludes with “Watching the Detectives,” the searing track that was appended to the American release.

From Salon ● Oct. 14, 2026

Labour MP Dr Allison Gardner has been living with the "searing pain" of recurrent infections for about 10 years, after first experiencing symptoms with perimenopause.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

The United States commemorated the 25th anniversary of the devastating September 11, 2001 attacks Friday with a poignant ceremony in New York marked by President Donald Trump's absence and searing criticism from victims' relatives.

From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026

Price increases have cooled off since the searing inflation that followed the Covid-19 pandemic.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

I nodded and let her give me the tablets, although I knew they would do little for my feet, now throbbing to a steady, searing pulse.

From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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Related Words

• baking
• blazing
• blistering
• fiery
• incandescent
• scalding
• scorching
• sizzling
• sweltering
• torrid

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