boiling point

noun

1

: the temperature at which a liquid boils

2

a

: the point at which a person becomes uncontrollably angry

b

: the point of crisis : head sense 17b

matters had reached the boiling point

Synonyms

• crisis
• crossroad(s)
• breaking point
• head
• flash point

Examples of boiling point in a Sentence

The boiling point of water is 212° Fahrenheit or 100° Celsius.

when the situation reached the boiling point, the President had no choice but to order out the National Guard

Recent Examples on the Web

In episode 3 of Outlander: Blood of My Blood, the question of who will step in to lead Clan MacKenzie after the death of Red Jacob (Peter Mullan) reaches a boiling point. —Maureen Lee Lenker Published, EW.com, 16 Aug. 2025

If the surface is at least 400° Fahrenheit (well above the boiling point of water), cushions of water vapor, or steam, form underneath them, keeping them levitated. —Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 14 Aug. 2025

This is because when pressure decreases, the boiling point of water does as well. —Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 30 July 2025

As noted earlier, frustrations over the governor’s choices and decisions to halt forward progress have reached a boiling point. —Nick Gauthier, Hartford Courant, 7 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1741, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for boiling point

• counterpoint
• disappoint
• multipoint
• needlepoint
• reappoint
• adjoint
• anoint
• appoint
• checkpoint
• conjoint
• disjoint
• endpoint

Kids Definition

boiling point

noun

1

: the temperature at which a liquid boils

2

: the point at which a person becomes uncontrollably angry

3

: the point of crisis

Medical Definition

boiling point

noun

boil·​ing point ˈbȯi-liŋ-ˌpȯint 

: the temperature at which a liquid boils