Meaning & use
broiled
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“broiled” is a form of “broil”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
Cooked with strong direct heat from above, usually under an oven element.
Grammar: Past tense and past participle of broil; the verb takes an object.
Patterns
- broil something
- be broiled with something
She broiled the salmon for eight minutes until the skin crisped.
He broiled the cheese on toast and served it hot.
The tomatoes were broiled with a little olive oil.
verbtransitive or intransitivefigurativeinformal
Made very hot by the sun or surroundings, so that you feel uncomfortably hot.
Grammar: Often passive or reflexive; informal in this sense.
Patterns
- be broiled by something
We were broiled by the midday sun on the beach.
The tourists broiled in the stuffy bus for an hour.
He broiled inside his thick coat all afternoon.
adjectivebefore a noun
Describing food that has been cooked under direct heat from above.
Grammar: Appears before a noun: broiled fish, broiled chicken.
Patterns
- broiled something
The menu offered broiled fish with lemon.
She ordered a broiled steak with a salad.
Broiled vegetables taste sweet and smoky.
Word forms
| base form | broil |
|---|---|
| third person singular | broils |
| -ing form | broiling |
Common combinations
- broiled salmon
- We had broiled salmon with rice.
- broiled steak
- The restaurant is known for broiled steak.
- lightly broiled
- The peppers were lightly broiled and peeled.
- broiled until golden
- Bake the dish, then it is broiled until golden.
- broiled in the sun
- The swimmers were broiled in the sun by noon.
Synonyms and how they differ
- grilled
- Grilled is the British equivalent, and in the US it often means cooked over an open flame.
- roasted
- Roasted means cooked in surrounding hot air of an oven, not from above.
- baked
- Baked uses all-round oven heat, usually for bread or dishes cooked gently.
- seared
- Seared means browned quickly on the surface, usually in a hot pan.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: broiled or boiled?
broiled vs boiled
Boiled means cooked in bubbling water, but broiled means cooked under direct dry heat.
Practice
The recipe says the fish should be broiled. It is cooked
Choose one answer.
Broiled food is cooked under direct heat above it. Boiled would be the word for water, so the first option is the tempting wrong choice.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “broiled”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.