scorch

1 to burn on the surface the picnickers kept scorching their marshmallows, deliberately sticking their skewers into the licking flames of the campfire Synonyms char, sear, singe Related Words fire, ignite, inflame (also enflame), kindle, light; bake, cremate, incinerate; scald, scathe

2 to make dry weeks of drought had badly scorched the soil Synonyms dehydrate, desiccate, parch, dry, searRelated Words dehumidify; drain; evaporate; mummify, shrivel, wither, wizen; air-dry, bakeNear Antonyms bathe, deluge, douse (also dowse), drench, drown, flood, inundate, overflow, saturate, soak, sop, souse, waterlog; damp, dampen, humidify, moisten; rehydrate; dip, dunk, submerge, swampAntonyms hydrate, wash, water, wet