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
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
1
: a result of scorching
2
: a browning of plant tissues usually from disease or heat
Examples of scorch in a Sentence
Verb (1)
the picnickers kept scorching their marshmallows, deliberately sticking their skewers into the licking flames of the campfire
weeks of drought had badly scorched the soil
Recent Examples on the Web
Sierra Van Der Brug, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026
This unseasonable March streak of scorching heat is not only notable in its intensity, but also in its duration and its scale.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
An east-facing window is the sweet spot because the plant gets gentle morning sun without the afternoon scorch.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scorch
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Verb
Across the four days of scorching temperatures, 40 daily high temperature records were broken, the NWS said.
—Sierra Van Der Brug, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026
This unseasonable March streak of scorching heat is not only notable in its intensity, but also in its duration and its scale.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Noun
His point was that the abundant regeneration that Hanson shows off represents scorch, where heat opened the cones to release the multitude of seeds.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
An east-facing window is the sweet spot because the plant gets gentle morning sun without the afternoon scorch.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scorch
Cite this Entry
“Scorch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scorch. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scorch
1 of 2 verb1
: to burn on the surface
2
: to burn so as to dry, wilt, or turn brown
scorch
2 of 2 noun1
: a result of scorching
2
: a browning of plant tissues usually caused by disease or heat
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