searing 1 of 2

adjective

ˈsir-iŋ How to pronounce searing (audio)
Definition of searingnext
1
as in boiling
having a notably high temperature in our air-conditioned office, we were oblivious to the searing heat outside

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2
as in harsh
difficult to endure the undersecretary looked chastened as he listened to the congressman's searing rebuke

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searing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of sear
1
as in charring
to burn on the surface lightly sear the steaks, but don't cook them all the way through

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2
as in drying
to make dry the clear desert air is seared by the summer sun

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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 searing
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, 28 July 2026
Verb
Even for a party accustomed to searing debates between progressives and moderates, the schism over Israel has been blistering. — Steve Peoples, Fortune, 24 June 2026 Right now, everything was an eye-searing neon yellow. — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 17 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for searing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for searing
  1. boiling
  2. harsh
  3. charring
  4. drying
  5. burning
  6. brutal
  7. scorching
  8. hot
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
  • In both premise and execution, the show is hugely reminiscent of the Showtime series of the aughts and early 2010s that featured women in harsh circumstances going to extremes in order to get one over on a society that didn’t care about them.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Although he would not be drawn on future product pricing, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are set for release in September and will be affected by the harsh trading conditions.
    — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of harsh
Verb
  • Triple Char means that the barrels the bourbon was aged in were charred for three times as long as usual, which is supposed to bring out even more flavors from the wood (the charring process is really what makes bourbon bourbon, after all).
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 26 July 2026
  • House of Leon crafts it from Douglas fir using shou sugi ban, a traditional Japanese technique that preserves wood by charring its surface.
    — Nora Taylor, Architectural Digest, 23 July 2026
Definition of charring
Verb
  • Despite its size, the product still delivers the same powerful drying technology people have come to expect from Dyson.
    — Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • No soap, paper towels or mechanical hand drying graced the kitchen handwash sink.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of drying
Adjective
  • Prosecutors said some of the money was used for recruiting new members and purchasing Ku Klux Klan robes and materials for cross-burning ceremonies.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 July 2026
  • In the case of the cross-burning incident, there is no comparison to the Jussie Smollett case.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026
Definition of burning
Adjective
  • His brutal murder in Culiacán, the capital of the northwestern Mexican state of Sinaloa, happened in just a few seconds on Tuesday in front of an audience of thousands of social media users watching his TikTok stream.
    — Rey Rodríguez, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Deliberate exposure is a brutal test — in this trial, 81% of the placebo group got sick, experiencing diarrhea and fever in some cases before receiving antibiotics.
    — Joseph Kim, NPR, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of brutal
Verb
  • The scorching Afrofuturist dystopian nightmare that told of decades of oppression to come (and of centuries past mired in it), was lost to time.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 30 July 2026
  • Cook gently over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent scorching the bottom of the pot.
    — Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 July 2026
Definition of scorching
Adjective
  • Hundreds of firefighters are working long shifts to slow the Spokane Complex Fire ahead of hotter and drier conditions this weekend.
    — Morgan Chesky, NBC news, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Those works appear particularly timely, as parts of Europe continue to bear the brunt of one of its hottest summers on record, forcing some museums and monuments to partially or entirely close.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of hot

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Cite this Entry

“Searing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/searing. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of searing for Spanish Speakers

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