char 1 of 2

noun

Definition of charnext
British
as in housekeeper
a female domestic servant a busy executive who leaves most of the cooking and cleaning to the char

Synonyms & Similar Words

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char

2 of 2

verb

as in to scorch
to burn on the surface I'd like my hamburger charred, but not cooked through

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of char
Noun
Though the craft of char burning has essentially died out in Germany, Feldmer hopes that his family will keep the tradition alive. — ABC News, 27 July 2026 The stainless set perfectly sears salmon skin, and gives a quick char to green beans or any other sautéed veggie without mushing up the interior. — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 20 July 2026
Verb
The blaze has spread across heathland and fields, forcing dozens of people to be evacuated from their homes, with vast stretches of land left charred. — Tiago Ventura, Time, 30 July 2026 It was blackened, charred, the conductor that had drawn the single precise punch of lightning. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 27 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for char
Recent Examples of Synonyms for char
  1. housekeeper
  2. scorch
  3. maid
  4. singe
  5. sear
  6. light
Noun
  • The former California governor also shares youngest son Joseph Baena, 28, with former housekeeper Mildred Patricia Baena.
    — Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 30 July 2026
  • The film is about a former housekeeper named Marie who, while preparing to celebrate her engagement to the patriarch of the house, is haunted by secrets of her past.
    — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 23 July 2026
Definition of housekeeper
Verb
  • The massive wildfire outside the southwestern city of Bordeaux, which has scorched about 420 square kilometers (162 square miles), uncovered what is believed to be World War II-era ammunition.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • As well as fueling the fires scorching Europe’s land, the latest heatwaves have also put unprecedented pressure on the continent’s water sources – and the vital infrastructure that relies on them.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of scorch
Noun
  • Based on Freida McFadden’s bestselling novel, the sequel picks up as Sweeney’s Millie, who works as a live-in maid for wealthy families, takes a new job — this time keeping house for a woman she’s never allowed to see.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026
  • If Lizzie is Cinderella, then actor Vicky Krieps’s Bridget Sullivan, the Bordens’ live-in maid, is her fairy godmother.
    — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of maid
Verb
  • Five digital heat settings make temperature adjustment simple, and the ceramic plates are gentle enough to use on any hair type without singeing.
    — Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 18 June 2026
  • An angry deity hurled a firebrand at the swallow, singeing away its middle tail feathers.
    — Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026
Definition of singe
Verb
  • The grilled Spam and cheese sliders ($16), with thin slices of Spam seared crisp served on Hawaiian buns with pineapple-jalapeno chutney, are a flavor bomb.
    — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • But a little more than a minute after launch, the shuttle exploded, sending jagged plumes across the sky creating an image that would be seared into collective memory.
    — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of sear
Verb
  • The façade was lighted from below by the exterior lights that specified the building, separated it from the other night buildings.
    — Emma Cline, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Partnership feels friendly as nurturing Moon lights your 7th House of Partnership, trining harmonious Venus in your 11th House of Friends and Community.
    — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of light

Browse Nearby Words

chapters
char
character
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Cite this Entry

“Char.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/char. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on char

Nglish: Translation of char for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about char

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