searing

adjective

sear·ing | \ˈsir-iŋ

\

Definition of searing

1 : very hot

2 : marked by extreme intensity, harshness, or emotional power searing pain a searing review a searing portrayal

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Examples of searing in a Sentence

the searing heat of the fire She felt a searing pain in her foot. She made a searing attack on her political enemies.

Recent Examples on the Web

Meanwhile, the Vermont independent delivered a searing, if familiar, criticism of White House policy and the President's politics, but sough to avoid any protracted commentary on Trump, the tabloid character. — Gregory Krieg, CNN, "Donald who? 2020 prospects hit New York for 'temperature tour'," 20 Apr. 2018 The searing pain that comes from smacking yourself square on the thumb is impossible to forget. — Bridget Mallon, ELLE Decor, "Magnets Are The Secret To Hammering Without Getting Hurt," 11 Jan. 2016 Kate Moss, Charlotte Tilbury and Liv Tyler went the casual route in breezy dresses while singer Rochelle Humes opted for a searing pink pantsuit. — Aubri Juhasz, The Cut, "The Best-est Party Looks of the Week," 13 July 2018 The clambake tradition belongs mostly to New England, where Indian tribes dating back more than 2,000 years cooked seafood in large earthen pits lined with searing-hot rocks and covered with seaweed and sand. — Leilani Marie Labong, San Francisco Chronicle, "Start a tradition with a Bodega beach clambake," 11 May 2018 The searing criticism came as Trump plans to fly to Brussels later Tuesday, vowing to punish NATO allies for their failures to live up to their defense spending commitments. — Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post, "‘Dear America, appreciate your allies. After all, you don’t have that many,‘ E.U. leader warns Trump," 10 July 2018 The searing criticism came as Trump plans to fly to Brussels later Tuesday, vowing to punish NATO allies for their failures to live up to their defense spending commitments. — Washington Post, BostonGlobe.com, "EU leader tells Trump: ‘Appreciate your allies. After all, you don’t have that many’," 10 July 2018 Inside, the story of the African-American experience unfolds in three searing below-ground galleries that proceed chronologically from the Atlantic slave trade that began in the 1400s to the 2008 election of President Barack Obama. — Blair Kamin, chicagotribune.com, "The national African-American museum still stirs the soul — and drops hints of what to expect at the Obama Presidential Center," 11 July 2018 And just the year before Clinton was elected president, Anita Hill gave her searing congressional testimony about the behavior of Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. — Rebecca Traister, The Cut, "Time’s Up, Bill," 4 June 2018

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

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Dictionary Entries near searing

Statistics for searing

Last Updated

15 Oct 2018

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Time Traveler for searing

The first known use of searing was in 1678

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More Definitions for searing

searing

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of searing

: very hot

: extremely intense, severe, etc.

of writing or speech : very strong and critical

See the full definition for searing in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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