sear

²sear

verb \ˈsir\

Definition of SEAR

intransitive verb

: to cause withering or drying

transitive verb

1

: to make withered and dry : parch

2

a : to burn, scorch, mark, or injure with or as if with sudden application of intense heat b : to cook the surface of quickly with intense heat <sear a steak>

Examples of SEAR

1. The tree was seared by lightning.
2. The flames seared my skin.
3. The steak was seared over a hot grill.

Origin of SEAR

Middle English seren, from Old English sēarian to become dry, from sēar sere

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to SEAR

Synonyms: char, scorch, singe

Antonyms: hydrate, wash, water, wet

Related Words: fire, ignite, inflame (also enflame), kindle, light; bake, cremate, incinerate; scald, scathe

Near Antonyms: bathe, deluge, douse (also dowse), drench, drown, flood, inundate, overflow, saturate, soak, sop, souse, waterlog; damp, dampen, humidify, moisten; rehydrate; dip, dunk, submerge, swamp

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Rhymes with SEAR

beer, bier, blear, cere, cheer, clear, dear, deer, Deere, drear, ear, fear, fere, fleer, gear, hear, here, jeer, leer, mere, mir, near, peer, pier, Pierre, queer, rear, schmear, seer, sere, shear, sheer, skirr, smear, sneer, spear, speer, sphere, steer, tear, tier, Trier, Tyr, veer, weir, year