sear meaning

UK /sɪə/ US /sɪr/ 1 syllable

sear (verb): make very hot and dry.

sear has 5 meanings in this dictionary, as verb and adjective.

sear as a verb

  1. make very hot and dry
    • The heat scorched the countryside

    Synonyms: scorch

    Type of: heat

    Kinds: sizzle

  2. become superficially burned
    • my eyebrows singed when I bent over the flames

    Synonyms: scorch, singe

    Type of: burn

  3. burn slightly and superficially so as to affect color
    • The cook blackened the chicken breast
    • The fire charred the ceiling above the mantelpiece
    • the flames scorched the ceiling

    Synonyms: char, blacken, scorch

    Type of: burn

    Kinds: singe

  4. cause to wither or parch from exposure to heat
    • The sun parched the earth

    Synonyms: parch

    Type of: dry

sear as an adjective

  1. (used especially of vegetation) having lost all moisture
    • dried-up grass
    • the desert was edged with sere vegetation
    • shriveled leaves on the unwatered seedlings
    • withered vines

    Synonyms: dried-up, sere, shriveled, shrivelled, withered

    Similar: dry

How to pronounce sear

sear is pronounced /sɪə/ in British English and /sɪr/ in American English. It has 1 syllable.

Words that rhyme with sear

Word lists: words starting with SE · words ending in AR · 4-letter words

More about sear on Wikipedia.