boiling
Americanadjective
-
having reached the boiling point; steaming or bubbling up under the action of heat.
boiling water.
-
fiercely churning or swirling.
the boiling seas.
-
(of anger, rage, etc.) intense; fierce; heated.
adverb
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of boiling
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; boil 1 + -ing 2
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.
Bare midriff or not, Schiffer suggests bringing a layer if you’re sticking around for the night session: “You show up and it’s like boiling, and then by that night you’re freezing.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
“It does feel like the pot is continuing to boil and slowly boiling over,” said Flood.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
Dame Hilary spoke of her own "boiling detestation" for Lady Thatcher, but said she was "a fantastic character" and "the very stuff of drama".
From BBC • May 8, 2026
It’s almost like we’re seeing interpersonal deliberations that usually go on behind the curtain boiling over into public talks, which is extraordinarily unusual.
From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026
The kind you got when you touched a hot stove or were scalded by boiling water.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
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.
