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1

scorch

verb \ ˈskȯrch \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of scorch

transitive verb

1 : to burn a surface of so as to change its color and texture

2 a : to dry or shrivel with or as if with intense heat : parch

b : to afflict painfully with censure or sarcasm

3 : devastate; especially : to destroy (something, such as property of possible use to an advancing enemy) before abandoning —used in the phrase scorched earth

intransitive verb

1 : to become scorched

2 : to travel at great and usually excessive speed

3 : to cause intense heat or mental anguish

scorching sun

scorching fury

—

scorchingly

play \ˈskȯr-chiŋ-lē\ adverb

Recent Examples of scorch from the Web

Mark Jackson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said the storm’s bulls-eye will be an area scorched last year by a wildfire that was the largest in California history, at 440 square miles.

— tim stelloh, NBC News, "Thousands of Californians ordered to evacuate ahead of powerful storm," 19 Mar. 2018
More than 100 homes were destroyed when torrential rain washed out hillsides that were scorched bare last month by a massive wildfire.

— jamie yuccas, CBS News, "Devastated by mudslides, Montecito has nowhere for debris and more rain is on the way," 18 Jan. 2018
Soil scorched by fire is less able to absorb water.

— james queally, latimes.com, "Death toll rises to 17 in Montecito; 100 homes destroyed by mudslides," 10 Jan. 2018
Izanami is a fitting character for the song, a scorching send-off for an ex-lover.

— rebecca farley, refinery29.com, "Jhené Aiko Literally Has A Funeral For Her Ex's Ego In The "Never Call Me" Video," 20 Mar. 2018
Rocky planets bigger than Earth with scorching hot temperatures are the most common, accounting for more than 25 percent of all known exoplanets.

— john wenz, Popular Mechanics, "All the Exoplanets We’ve Discovered in One Small Chart," 15 Nov. 2017
If the skillet handle is plastic or wood, wrap it in a double layer of foil to protect it from scorching when placed under the broiler.

— woman's day kitchen, Woman's Day, "Sausage and Potato Frittata," 17 Dec. 2012
Plus my tongue is a barren wasteland, scorched by near-boiling temperatures over the past week.

— aimee levitt, Chicago Reader, "Archive Dive / Food & Drink How Kevin Warwick learned to stop worrying and cultivate a coffee addiction, just like the rest of us," 7 Mar. 2018
Screen time is a scorching hot button issue between parents and their children: kids can’t seem to get enough while parents struggle to keep it under control.

— NBC News, "Realistic screen time solutions for kids (and their parents)," 22 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scorch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of scorch

Middle English; probably akin to Middle English scorcnen to become singed, scorklen to parch

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

2

scorch

noun

Definition of scorch

1 : a result of scorching

2 : a browning of plant tissues usually from disease or heat

See scorch defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of scorch from the Web

Though the prequels certainly felt some of its scorch, this is the first Star Wars trilogy to truly contend with the full force of the Internet’s attention.

— joanna robinson, HWD, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," 17 Dec. 2017
Chile brings an insistent thrust to every dish, sometimes a scorch and quick retreat, sometimes a steady radiance.

— ligaya mishan, New York Times, "Tastes That Are Distinctly Bangladeshi in Queens," 26 Oct. 2017
Stir tomatoes frequently so mixture does not scorch on bottom.

— mary g. pepitone, kansascity, "Sweet, savory homemade ketchup a legacy of love | The Kansas City Star," 24 Oct. 2017
City dwellers will have a difficult time seeing anything but the brightest scorches of light.

— neel v. patel, Slate Magazine, "Treat Yourself to a Meteor Shower," 20 Oct. 2017
The blaze burned brush and left scorch marks on some big trees that survived, said Cheryl Chipman, a fire information officer.

— CBS News, "Smoke from western wildfires causes health concerns," 5 Sep. 2017
The blaze burned brush and left scorch marks on some big trees that survived, said Cheryl Chipman, a fire information officer.

— matt volz and sudhin thanawala, chicagotribune.com, "Wind-whipped wildfires bear down on Glacier, Yosemite parks," 5 Sep. 2017
The blaze burned brush and left scorch marks on some big trees that survived, said Cheryl Chipman, a fire information officer.

— Washington Post, "Ash covers Oregon cities, wildfire smoke chokes US West," 5 Sep. 2017
Issa trashes her apartment, prompted by the presence of the scorch marks still left behind on her ceiling from the garbage fire in episode one.

— cate young, Cosmopolitan, "Issa and Lawrence Finally Have It Out on Insecure," 4 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scorch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of scorch

15th century

3

scorch

verb

Definition of scorch

transitive verb

dialectal British

: cut, slash

Recent Examples of scorch from the Web

The Coachella Valley is a 45-mile stretch of scorching terrain that begins near Palm Springs and runs southeast to the Salton Sea.

— gabriel thompson, Longreads, "Coachella, Underground," 12 Apr. 2018
Cook porridge, stirring occasionally to prevent the bottom from scorching.

— ashleigh spitza, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Millet, the underdog of grains, packs a punch of nutrients," 11 Apr. 2018
Add more water as needed to prevent the bottom of the pan from scorching.

— Vogue, "A Vegan Lunch With Alicia Silverstone," 10 Apr. 2018
Fire with Fire If these friendlies are about individual matchups, there is not bigger one this break than the clash of two of Europe’s scorching hot goal scorers.

— juan pimiento, chicagotribune.com, "Brazil without Neymar, Spain's striker dilemma and the best of the FIFA friendlies," 22 Mar. 2018
How about Korver, who shines alongside LeBron James and has been scorching in March?

— joe vardon, cleveland.com, "Tyronn Lue can't coach second half against Bulls because of illness," 18 Mar. 2018
The crisp white of their dresses against the darkening rock remains practically scorched into the viewer's retina.

— david rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Picnic at Hanging Rock': TV Review | Berlin 2018," 20 Feb. 2018
The federal agency oversees the gorge national scenic area and is dedicated to restoring the 49,000 acres scorched in the Labor Day holiday fire that forced evacuations of hundreds of people and changed the landscape of the spectacular expanse.

— maxine bernstein, OregonLive.com, "Teen accused of setting Eagle Creek fire expected to plead guilty Friday," 16 Feb. 2018
Way scorched Banfield in an email that went public, mocking Banfield’s appearance and age.

— marcos bretón, sacbee, "Whoa, wait a minute. Ansari is a victim now? Don’t think so.," 21 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scorch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of scorch

Middle English, perhaps blend of scoren to score and scocchen to scotch

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

SCORCH Defined for English Language Learners

scorch

noun

Definition of scorch for English Language Learners

: a damaged area or mark that is caused by burning

SCORCH Defined for Kids

scorch

verb \ ˈskȯrch \

Definition of scorch for Students

scorched; scorching

1 : to burn on the surface The fire scorched the bottom of the pan.

2 : to dry or shrivel with or as if with intense heat Drought scorched the crops.

3 : to produce intense heat

The wind had died and already the sun was beginning to scorch.
—Theodore Taylor, The Cay

Learn More about scorch

See words that rhyme with scorch Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for scorch Spanish Central: Translation of scorch Nglish: Translation of scorch for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of scorch for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about scorch

Seen and Heard

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BROWSE DICTIONARY

scorbute

scorbutic

scorch

scorched

scorched-earth

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