searing

adjective

sear·​ing ˈsir-iŋ How to pronounce searing (audio)
1
: very hot
2
: marked by extreme intensity, harshness, or emotional power
searing pain
a searing review
a searing portrayal
searingly adverb

Examples of searing in a Sentence

the searing heat of the fire She felt a searing pain in her foot. She made a searing attack on her political enemies.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Four years ago, Officer Daniel Hodges was called upon to defend the Capitol against a pro-Trump mob and wound up being pinned by the throng in a doorway of the building, in one of the most searing images of the violence that erupted on Jan. 6, 2021. Alan Feuer, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2025 And the most searing one was my son Beau wasn't there. David Faris, Newsweek, 19 Jan. 2025 In Central Florida, there will be plenty of ways to celebrate King’s legacy, starting with Saturday’s parade in downtown Orlando and an early-morning observation in Groveland, scene of one of Florida’s most searing episodes of racial injustice. Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, Orlando Sentinel, 18 Jan. 2025 Briarcliff Entertainment has set a March theatrical release date for the Oscar-qualified documentary October 8, a searing examination of antisemitism that erupted after the Hamas terror attack on Israel of October 7, 2023. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 29 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for searing 

Word History

First Known Use

1678, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of searing was in 1678

Dictionary Entries Near searing

Cite this Entry

“Searing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/searing. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

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