SCORCHING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does scorching mean? 

• SCORCHING (adjective)
  The adjective SCORCHING has 1 sense:

1. hot and dry enough to burn or parch a surface

  Familiarity information: SCORCHING used as an adjective is very rare.

• SCORCHING (adverb)
  The adverb SCORCHING has 1 sense:

1. capable of causing burns

  Familiarity information: SCORCHING used as an adverb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SCORCHING (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Hot and dry enough to burn or parch a surface

Context example:

scorching heat

Similar:

hot (used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning)

• SCORCHING (adverb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Capable of causing burns

Context example:

it was scorching hot

Pertainym:

scorching (hot and dry enough to burn or parch a surface)

 Context examples 

Imagine a place where the weather forecast is always the same: scorching temperatures, relentlessly sunny, and with absolutely zero chance of rain.

(Water Is Destroyed, Then Reborn in Ultrahot Jupiters, NASA/JPL)

Its day-side temperature is a scorching 1,430 degrees Fahrenheit (776.7 degrees Celsius).

(NASA Finds a Large Amount of Water in an Exoplanet's Atmosphere, NASA)

Scorching temperatures, low precipitation, strong sunlight and low wind speeds allow heat and poor-quality air to stagnate in a given location for an extended period of time.

(Dangers of Concurrent Heat Waves, Air Pollution, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

The scorching torrent was enough to wither the face of the corpse.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

She did not dream of the volcanic convulsions of love, its scorching heat and sterile wastes of parched ashes.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

But by-and-by, when the teething worry was over and the idols went to sleep at proper hours, leaving Mamma time to rest, she began to miss John, and find her workbasket dull company, when he was not sitting opposite in his old dressing gown, comfortably scorching his slippers on the fender.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

His fevered membranes and burnt stomach began to clamour for more and more of the scorching fluid; while his brain, thrust all awry by the unwonted stimulant, permitted him to go any length to obtain it.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Then all rode farther on their journey, till the day grew so warm, and the sun so scorching, that the bride began to feel very thirsty again; and at last, when they came to a river, she forgot her maid’s rude speech, and said, Pray get down, and fetch me some water to drink in my golden cup.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

My skin was scorching in the torment of fire.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

The rasping, scorching sands were a man’s hard hands chafing my naked chest.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)