roast

1 of 3

verb

ˈrōst 

roasted; roasting; roasts

transitive verb

1

a

: to cook by exposing to dry heat (as in an oven or before a fire) or by surrounding with hot embers, sand, or stones

roast a potato in ashes

b

: to process a raw coffee bean by drying, heating to temperatures typically between 380-450°F (190-230°C) for seven to twenty minutes, and quickly cooling to room temperature to achieve a desired level of roast (see roast entry 2 sense 3)

… roasting coffee brings out flavor, aroma, and character; it also evaporates moisture.

—Lisa Kolb Ruland

2

: to heat to excess

roasted by the summer sun

3

: to subject to severe criticism or ridicule

The film was roasted by critics and isn't fondly remembered …

—John Fox

4

: to honor (a person) at a roast (see roast entry 2 sense 5)

5

metallurgy : to heat (inorganic material) in air and without fusing (as to oxidize sulfides or eliminate volatile matter)

Zinc is refined from its ore by roasting finely crushed zinc blende … in a furnace.

—Daniel A. Brandt

intransitive verb

1

: to cook food by heat

Once you've tossed the potatoes in your chosen fat, you're ready to roast.

—Fionnula Hainey

2

: to undergo the process of being roasted

left the potatoes in the oven to roast

—often used figuratively

We roasted in the stuffy classroom.

roast

2 of 3

noun

plural roasts

1

: a piece of meat suitable for roasting

Put the roast in the oven.

see also pot roast

2

: a gathering at which food is roasted before an open fire or in hot ashes or sand

was invited to a pig roast

3

: the distinctive quality or character of a coffee bean that typically includes its darkness, aroma, and flavor and is determined by the degree of roasting (see roast entry 1 sense 1b)

The difference in coffee roasts is in their levels of oil, caffeine, and acidity.

—Clark Nowlin

see also dark roast, light roast, medium roast

4

: an act or instance of severe banter or criticism

… did not hold back in his roast of Washington politics …, saving jabs for both parties.

—Kaanita Iyer

5

: a banquet honoring a person who is subjected to humorous tongue-in-cheek ridicule by friends

Tennis ace Boris Becker wasn't on the dais at the North Miami celebrity roast of aging bad boy Ilie Nastase, so he could observe the rites with a certain detachment.

—Tim Allis

roast

3 of 3

adjective

: that has been roasted

roast beef

Synonyms

Verb

• chaff
• jive
• joke
• josh
• kid
• rally
• razz
• rib
• ride
• tease

Examples of roast in a Sentence

Verb

The chicken is roasting in the oven.

We roasted the peanuts over the fire.

The peanuts roasted over the fire.

We were roasting in the hot sun.

The movie is being roasted by the critics.

Noun

She made a roast for dinner.

We're having pork roast for dinner.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The conquistadors raped Indigenous women, chopped off Indians’ hands, used swords as spits to roast Indian babies over fires as their mothers watched. —The New Yorker, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2025

There are treehouses to explore, pools to enjoy in the warmer months, s’mores to roast, and golf courses, beach cruisers, and kayaks to fill your itinerary. —Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2025

Noun

This shift towards smaller, more manageable meals means traditional heavy dishes like ham or lamb roasts – once staples – are replaced by lighter, more adaptable fare. —Food Drink Life, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2025

Sangiovese Mokelumne River 2023 for heavier Easter meats like lamb, roast poultry and ham. —Jill Barth, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025

Adjective

As Americans dig into Thanksgiving dinner, the centerpiece on many tables will be roast turkey. —Byzahra Hirji, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2024

From Frisch's Big Boy birds to Reds stars and even a nod to a roast Big Mac bridge, these turkeys left us feeling thankful. —Rasputin Todd, The Enquirer, 27 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English rosten, from Anglo-French rostir, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German rōsten to roast

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing roast

• crown roast
• dark roast
• light roast
• medium roast
• pot roast
• rib roast
• weiner roast
• wiener roast

Rhymes for roast

• boast
• coast
• doest
• dosed
• ghost
• grossed
• host
• most
• moste
• toast
• almost
• engrossed

Kids Definition

roast

1 of 3 verb

ˈrōst 

1

: to cook with dry heat (as in an oven)

2

: to be or make very hot

3

: to criticize severely in either a serious or joking way

roast

2 of 3 noun

1

: a piece of meat roasted or suitable for roasting

2

: an outing at which food is roasted

3

: severe criticism or kidding

roast

3 of 3 adjective

: cooked by roasting

roast beef

roast pork