Meaning & use
scorch
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
To burn the surface of something slightly so it changes color or is damaged.
Grammar: Takes an object (scorch the shirt) or has none (the toast scorched).
Patterns
- scorch something
- scorch on something
The iron was too hot and scorched the collar of the shirt.
A stray spark scorched the carpet.
The edges of the leaves scorched in the sun.
verbtransitive
To dry up and kill plants by very strong heat.
Grammar: Often used for sun, drought or heat acting on land or crops.
Patterns
- scorch the land
Weeks of heat scorched the fields.
The summer sun scorched the lawn to a pale brown.
verbintransitiveinformalold-fashioned
To move at great speed, especially on a road.
Grammar: Usually followed by a direction word: scorch down the road.
Patterns
- scorch along
- scorch past
The cyclist scorched down the hill.
Sports cars scorched along the empty highway.
nouncountable
A mark or small burn on the surface of something.
Grammar: Often used in the phrase scorch mark.
Patterns
- a scorch mark
The iron left a brown scorch on the tablecloth.
A scorch mark on the wall showed where the heater had been.
Word forms
| third person singular | scorches |
|---|---|
| past tense | scorched |
| past participle | scorched |
| -ing form | scorching |
| plural | scorches |
Common combinations
- scorch the fabric
- Don't leave the iron on, or it will scorch the fabric.
- scorch marks
- There were scorch marks on the ceiling after the fire.
- scorch the earth
- The retreating army scorched the earth behind it.
- scorch the toast
- I scorched the toast while answering the phone.
- scorched by the sun
- The grass was scorched by the sun.
Synonyms and how they differ
- singe
- Singe means a light burn that removes tips, such as hair or feathers, while scorch can burn a surface more widely.
- char
- Char means to burn until black, so it is more extreme than scorch.
- sear
- Sear is a controlled fierce burning, often in cooking, to seal the surface of food.
- burn
- Burn is the general word and covers everything from slight to total damage, whereas scorch is only surface-level.
Word family
Commonly confused: scorch or scotch?
scorch vs scotch
Scotch can mean to put an end to something, such as a rumor, and has nothing to do with burning.
Practice
The cook left the sauce on high heat and it began to ___ on the bottom of the pan.
Choose one answer.
Scorch means to burn slightly, which is what happens to food that is overheated. Scratch, scatter and scrub do not describe burning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “scorch”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.