Meaning & use
melted
Last updated
“melted” is a form of “melt”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
Became liquid because of heat; also used after have or be to talk about this change.
Grammar: Past tense and past participle of melt; use it for a finished change, as in the ice melted or she has melted the chocolate.
Patterns
- something melted
- someone melted something
- something has melted
- something had melted
The snow melted by lunchtime because the sun came out.
She melted the butter in a small pan before adding the flour.
By the time we got home, the ice cream had already melted.
verbintransitivefigurative
Became soft and full of feeling, especially because of love or sympathy.
Grammar: No object; often used about a person's heart or manner, as in his heart melted.
Patterns
- someone's heart melted
- someone melted at something
- someone melted when ...
Her heart melted when the puppy climbed into her lap.
He melted at the sound of his daughter's voice on the phone.
adjectivebefore a noun
Turned into liquid by heat, or made soft and liquid in this way.
Grammar: Comes before a noun: melted cheese, melted chocolate. It describes a finished state, not an action in progress.
Patterns
- melted butter
- melted cheese
- melted chocolate
- melted snow
Pour the melted butter over the warm bread.
He spread melted chocolate across the top of the cake.
The melted snow ran down the street into the drains.
Word forms
| third person singular | melts |
|---|---|
| past tense | melted |
| past participle | melted |
| -ing form | melting |
Common combinations
- melted butter
- Brush the pan with melted butter before you add the eggs.
- melted cheese
- The sandwich came with melted cheese dripping down the sides.
- melted chocolate
- Dip the strawberries into melted chocolate and let them cool.
- melted snow
- Melted snow had turned the path into thick mud.
- completely melted
- The candle was completely melted by the end of the evening.
Synonyms and how they differ
- liquefied
- More technical and formal; use it in science writing rather than in the kitchen.
- thawed
- Used about frozen things returning to a soft state, often without full liquid form, as with frozen meat.
- dissolved
- Means mixed into a liquid and disappeared, as sugar in tea, not simply turned liquid by heat.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: melted or molten?
melted vs molten
Molten describes metal or rock that is liquid because of great heat, as in molten lava; melted is the everyday word for food and ice.
Practice
Which sentence uses melted correctly as an adjective?
Choose one answer.
In 'the melted butter', melted comes before a noun and describes the butter's finished state, which is the adjective use. The other options use melted as a verb form, either in a passive structure or as a past tense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “melted”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.