sear
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
to burn or char the surface of.
She seared the steak to seal in the juices.
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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)
noun
adjective
noun
verb
-
to scorch or burn the surface of
-
to brand with a hot iron
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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:
Don’t even reverse-sear, which means a semi-slow roast in a low-temperature oven, then a “hard sear.’
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Don’t use your sous-vide bath, should you be so fortunate as to have one, cooking the steak for hours until it reaches the desired temperature and then finishing with a quick sear.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
It takes well to a hard sear, which means texture.
From Salon ● Apr. 10, 2026
Inspired by Alison Roman’s knack for giving pork chops real presence — the kind that demands a proper sear and a little attention — I started there.
From Salon ● Apr. 10, 2026
Ella let her eyes sear into Lian's until she looked away.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
Officers purchased multiple auto sears throughout the course of the investigation, according to police.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 29, 2023
Wildfires devouring swaths of Algeria’s Mediterranean coast have killed 34 people over two days, the Algerian authorities said on Tuesday, as an extreme heat wave sears North Africa, Southern Europe and the sea between them.
From New York Times ● Jul. 25, 2023
Under federal law, auto sears are considered machine guns, the department said.
From Seattle Times ● May 11, 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
Looking at the fire map, I could see much of the path I charted was now seared.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 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
Charles is seared into the public’s mind by the fact that he is a constant.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
The five-time major champion goes back to his roots with Irish champ as a main course side dish to accompany either wagyu filet mignon or seared salmon.
From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026
I scrambled back onto the float, still seared by what he had said.
From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles
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
A wildfire burning near the Los Angeles-San Bernardino county line grew to more than 2,600 acres Saturday, spurring evacuation orders in Llano amid searing heat and approaching monsoonal weather conditions across Southern California.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
But the searing temperatures have done little to deter President Donald Trump, who has gone to great lengths to ensure the event becomes, in large part, a celebration of himself.
From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 2026
News of the death toll comes with parts of Europe, including the UK, braced for more searing temperatures from this weekend.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
It was predicated on a searing critique of large corporations, particularly railroads, and the wealthy elite in the North and South.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
