sizzle
Americanverb (used without object)
-
sizzles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sizzled,
past participle, past
-
sizzling
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
sizzles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sizzled,
past participle, past
-
sizzling
present participle
noun
-
sizzles
plural
verb
-
to make the hissing sound characteristic of frying fat
-
informal to be very hot
-
informal to be very angry
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
sizzlesimple
-
sizzlessimple
-
have sizzledperfect
-
has sizzledperfect
-
am sizzlingprogressive
-
are sizzlingprogressive
-
is sizzlingprogressive
-
have been sizzlingperfect progressive
-
has been sizzlingperfect progressive
Past
-
sizzledsimple
-
had sizzledperfect
-
was sizzlingprogressive
-
were sizzlingprogressive
-
had been sizzlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of sizzle
1595–1605; imitative; see -le
Explanation
When things sizzle, they make a sound like the hissing and popping you hear when you fry food in fat. Drop pieces of bacon in a hot pan and they'll sizzle. A grilled cheese sandwich sizzles in melted butter, and veggie burgers sizzle on a hot grill. You can also use sizzle in a figurative way, when it's so hot that you feel like food in a hot pan: "I'm not going to the pool today, I'll sizzle in the heat." This verb dates from about 1600, and it probably comes from the imitative Middle English sissen.
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 heat advisory for much of Southern California aside from the coast expired at 8 p.m. on Sunday, but temperatures on Monday will still sizzle in some areas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
But you can still watch a sizzle reel of Argentina defeating Egypt and follow Switzerland vs.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
Don’t be afraid of any crackling; cumin seeds should sizzle when fried.
From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2026
AI “is the sizzle in the restaurant world,” industry reps say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 27, 2026
There’s no ticktock of the blinker, no voice of the customer, and no sizzle of the traffic.
From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak
The next day is deep-clean Monday, when First Watch dishwashers scrub coffee urns and the greasy grates where bacon sizzles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 12, 2026
He also has posted a glut of social media sizzles of book-inspired photo shoots.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2026
The perfectly red fillet cut sizzles in the pan, its juices releasing a meaty aroma.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2025
Flavorful street food sizzles on every corner, rickshaws and scooters blare their horns in symphonic competition, and cats and dogs thread between your legs as pedestrians shuffle shoulder to shoulder.
From Salon ● Oct. 14, 2024
Then, with a gasp I can’t contain, I shift my hand forward, and my blood sizzles on the coals.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
The anchovy sizzled itself into the oil coating those browned alliums.
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026
The Lakers sizzled in the third quarter, shooting 76.5% from the field and 71.4% from three-point range.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026
Pots clanged and oil sizzled inside the London kitchen of Syrian chef Imad Alarnab, as the former refugee who fled his country's civil war recalled hosting King Charles III.
From Barron's ● Mar. 2, 2026
Steam rises from snack stands selling noodles and sizzled octopus on sticks on the Chinese side.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2024
Liyana ate a mound of rice and onions and sizzled pine nuts, but steered clear of the lamb.
From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye
I did the same: three dishes for lunch on my own, a whole fried fish in a sweet-tart sauce, braised pork in a clay pot, and tofu in a sizzling skillet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Smoky, charcoal-grilled meats and fragrant wok-cooked tomato curries sizzling over an open flame.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
For many, the smell of charcoal and sizzling meat is the scent of summer.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
But for all of the Stones’ gusto, it’s the cover versions that find them at their sizzling best.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
Then, when the men came home, they ate fish, wonderful sizzling pans of crisp little fish.
From "Miracles on Maple Hill" by Virginia Sorensen
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