Synonyms of scorch

scorch

verb

ˈskȯrch 

1

as in to char

to burn on the surface

the picnickers kept scorching their marshmallows, deliberately sticking their skewers into the licking flames of the campfire

Synonyms & Similar Words

• char
• singe
• bake
• sear
• light
• ignite
• fire
• incinerate
• inflame
• kindle
• scald
• cremate
• scathe

2

as in to dry

to make dry

weeks of drought had badly scorched the soil

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dry
• parch
• bake
• sear
• desiccate
• dehydrate
• drain
• evaporate
• shrivel
• dehumidify
• wither
• air-dry
• mummify
• wizen

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• wash
• wet
• water
• saturate
• flood
• drown
• soak
• bathe
• hydrate
• douse
• inundate
• drench
• overflow
• damp
• dampen
• moisten
• waterlog
• deluge
• sop
• submerge
• dip
• swamp
• souse
• humidify
• rehydrate
• dunk

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of scorch

These hardy plants withstand extreme weather, from scorching heat to harsh winters. — Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 16 Sep. 2026

In 2019 another blaze there, also dubbed the Getty Fire, scorched more than 700 acres. — Tom Tapp, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026

Sudan’s civil war turned its national museum into a battlefield and crime scene, with ancient statues shattered, skeletal remains scorched and vaults of gold looted. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

But huge wildfires like 2020’s Cameron Peak and East Troublesome fires are scorching landscapes beyond recovery. — Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 8 Sep. 2026