scorch

verb \ ˈskȯrch \

|Updated on: 10 Jun 2018

Definition of scorch

scorched; scorching; scorches

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

Pictures shared by Grant County Fire District 13 on Facebook showed fire trucks spraying down land that had been scorched by the fire.

— melissa locker, Time, "Man Accidentally Starts Wildfire By Lighting American Flag Blanket on Fire," 29 May 2018
What, precisely, the organization meant by this is unclear, since Wolf gave a performance that was very much in keeping with the tradition set by comics before her, at least tracing back to Stephen Colbert scorching George W. Bush in 2006.

— laura bradley, HWD, "It’s Political Media vs. Comedians as White House Press Association Disavows Michelle Wolf," 30 Apr. 2018
Reuters reports fountains of lava had spewed up to 300 feet from the vents and about 104 acres of land have been scorched by lava so far.

— peter martinez, CBS News, "Explosive eruptions, "ballistic rocks" possible from Hawaii volcano," 9 May 2018
Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun THEN: The exterior of the DTLR clothing store on Pennsylvania Avenue is scorched after being burned during the uprising following the death of Freddie Gray.

— baltimoresun.com, "Now-and-then pictures: Scenes from the 2015 unrest in Baltimore," 27 Apr. 2018
Residents living on the hillside that was scorched during the La Tuna Fire last September are also under a flash flood advisory this week, according to authorities.

— andy nguyen, latimes.com, "Burbank on flood watch as area braces for ‘storm of the year’," 21 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
Inside, the booths once shared by a hodgepodge of patrons — from professionals to the homeless — were scorched.

— michael e. miller, Washington Post, "‘There’s nothing left’: Fire devastates Rockville dive bar beloved for its history," 14 Feb. 2018
No one was seriously injured in the Sept. 15 fire, but several buildings were scorched, as were about a dozen cars whose gas tanks exploded one after another.

— james karst, NOLA.com, "The blazing hot cake war of 1921," 14 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.