scalding 1 of 2

adjective

ˈskȯl-diŋ How to pronounce scalding (audio)
Definition of scaldingnext
1
as in boiling
having a notably high temperature the scalding water of a geyser

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in satiric
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings scalding reviews for the overproduced horror movie

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

scalding

2 of 2

verb

present participle of scald
1
as in lacerating

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in scorching

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Dissimilar Words
3
as in simmering

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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 scalding
Adjective
There is an anti-scalding handle, so your hand is protected and a steam outlet to let off any high pressure steam to protect yourself. — Chris Hachey, BGR, 2 Apr. 2021 One man placed in a scalding bath or shower went to the hospital with second-degree burns. — Benjamin Weiser, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2020 But Reimann achieves an exemplary balance by alternating his scalding eruptions of vocal power (which in general are sparsely accompanied, sometimes by percussion alone) with full-throttle tutti blasts from the orchestra. — Matthew Aucoin, The New York Review of Books, 7 Dec. 2019 Two weeks ago, family and friends laid to rest Malachi Lawson, the 4-year-old who was burned in a scalding bath, his body then tossed in a dumpster. — Tim Prudente, baltimoresun.com, 26 Aug. 2019 See All Example Sentences for scalding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scalding
  1. boiling
  2. satiric
  3. lacerating
  4. scorching
  5. simmering
  6. searing
  7. sarcastic
  8. tearing
Adjective
  • More humane methods of killing lobsters pre-boiling include a sharp knife through the head, electrical stunning, or freezing.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 29 Dec. 2025
  • Agrawal and her team studied ionic liquids — salts that are liquid at sub-boiling temperatures (below 212 degrees Fahrenheit, or 100 degrees Celsius) — as a potential hospitable environment for life.
    — Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Definition of boiling
Adjective
  • Much of that expansion has been driven by the Cockroach Janta Party, a satirical group that started the movement two months ago.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
  • Currently, Jon Stewart hosts the satirical news program on Mondays, sharing anchor duties with a rotating team of senior correspondents on the other days of the week.
    — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026
Definition of satiric
Verb
  • Two generations of viewers have now grown up consuming The Daily Show’s lacerating take on politics.
    — Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026
  • In the last year, Huston has broken his eye socket — twice — and his jaw, as well as lacerating his kidney, per posts on his social media.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 28 June 2026
Definition of lacerating
Verb
  • Whipped by strong winds amid 100-plus degree temperatures, that spark grew into California’s fourth-largest wildfire on record, ultimately scorching some 429,000 acres and destroying 427 homes.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026
  • Keep the flames below the bottom edge of the pot to prevent scorching.
    — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 25 July 2026
Definition of scorching
Verb
  • Team staff pulled him off the field at a clearly predesignated time, and his quiet, simmering frustration radiated across the entire facility.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 26 July 2026
  • Once the broth is added, add more tender vegetables such as zucchini, yellow squash, and fresh tomato, which will cook to the perfect consistency in the simmering broth.
    — Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 25 July 2026
Definition of simmering
Adjective
  • But just as staggering was one of the overnight lows, which dipped to only a searing 97 degrees F (36 degrees C)—a tie for the hottest low that the city’s ever seen, a record first set just three years ago.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 30 July 2026
  • But another breakdown, an hour west of Seligman, stranded me in the searing heat.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 28 July 2026
Definition of searing
Adjective
  • The other sarcastic superhero-ed character that makes a few cameos in the film has their own connection to Spider-Man – again, centered on loneliness and eventually learning to open up from their own recent film.
    — Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • In the present, Lara meets Mari, a sarcastic and blunt high school tomboy who competes as a boxer.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 24 July 2026
Definition of sarcastic
Verb
  • San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch confirmed George Kittle is pushing to play in the season opener despite tearing his Achilles in January.
    — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 25 July 2026
  • Bronin and Larson ignore Gilchrest, who on June 30 had a paltry $35,000 to spend in the final weeks of the campaign, and concentrate on tearing chunks out of each other.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026
Definition of tearing

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scalding
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Cite this Entry

“Scalding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scalding. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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