scorched; scorching; scorches
1
: to burn a surface of so as to change its color and texture
2
a
: to dry or shrivel with or as if with intense heat : parch
b
: to afflict painfully with censure or sarcasm
3
: devastate
especially
: to destroy (something, such as property of possible use to an advancing enemy) before abandoning
—used in the phrase scorched earth
1
: to become scorched
2
: to travel at great and usually excessive speed
3
: to cause intense heat or mental anguish
scorching sun
scorching fury
1
: a result of scorching
2
: a browning of plant tissues usually from disease or heat
Examples of scorch in a Sentence
Verb (1)
the picnickers kept scorching their marshmallows, deliberately sticking their skewers into the licking flames of the campfire
weeks of drought had badly scorched the soil
Recent Examples on the Web
Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2025
Prolonged exposure or the uneven heating of the microwave can also cause the wax to scorch or smoke, creating a potential fire hazard.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
By Thursday, July 24, the dome’s reach is expected to stretch into the Great Lakes and Northeast, bringing the intense summer scorch with it.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for scorch
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Verb
On a late summer morning in the Pacific Palisades, dozens of hummingbirds rise from the ashes of Spencer Pratt‘s scorched hillside property, where his 2,200-square-foot, three-bedroom home once perched.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2025
Prolonged exposure or the uneven heating of the microwave can also cause the wax to scorch or smoke, creating a potential fire hazard.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
Noun
Attrition Orbs/Burning Ambition – This is the single target solar build that can apply scorch without a kill, while at the same time generating orbs.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
By Thursday, July 24, the dome’s reach is expected to stretch into the Great Lakes and Northeast, bringing the intense summer scorch with it.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for scorch
Cite this Entry
“Scorch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scorch. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scorch
1 of 2 verb1
: to burn on the surface
2
: to burn so as to dry, wilt, or turn brown
scorch
2 of 2 noun1
: a result of scorching
2
: a browning of plant tissues usually caused by disease or heat
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