searing

adjective

sear·​ing ˈsir-iŋ 

1

: very hot

2

: marked by extreme intensity, harshness, or emotional power

searing pain

a searing review

a searing portrayal

searingly adverb

Synonyms

• ardent
• boiling
• broiling
• burning
• fervent
• fervid
• fiery
• hot
• piping hot
• red
• red-hot
• roasting
• scalding
• scorching
• sultry
• superheated
• sweltering
• torrid
• ultrahot
• white-hot

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

Harris campaigned over the weekend Michelle Obama, who launched into a searing critique of the former president. —Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2024

This searing manual deconstructs the subgenre and the process that goes into contributing to it, bringing the study thereof into a whole new era of experimentation and boundary dissolution. —Tyler Thier, JSTOR Daily, 21 Oct. 2024

Tarantula hawk wasp The tarantula hawk wasp's sting is often described as a searing electric shock that can incapacitate its victim temporarily. —Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 25 Sep. 2024

The superb Olympic win over Alcaraz was an outlier, a searing moment of willpower that sucked up all his strength and joy. —Tim Ellis, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1678, in the meaning defined at sense 1