searing

adjective

sear·​ing ˈsir-iŋ 

1

: very hot

2

: marked by extreme intensity, harshness, or emotional power

searing pain

a searing review

a searing portrayal

searingly adverb

Synonyms

• ardent
• boiling
• broiling
• burning
• fervent
• fervid
• fiery
• hot
• piping hot
• red
• red-hot
• roasting
• scalding
• scorching
• sultry
• superheated
• sweltering
• torrid
• ultrahot
• white-hot

Examples of searing in a Sentence

the searing heat of the fire

She felt a searing pain in her foot.

She made a searing attack on her political enemies.

Recent Examples on the Web

Larry Kramer's searing indictment of mainstream media and the healthcare establishment in the early years of the AIDS crisis is as powerful as ever. —Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 10 Dec. 2024

Le Pen delivered a searing account of the political drama that had consumed the country since June 9th. —Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2024

There’s also a daring bit of improv and a searing indictment of AI. —Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 21 Nov. 2024

Part memoir, part reportage, Thompson’s book is not only an elegiac tribute to a child whose life was cut short too soon, but also a searing indictment of the system that enabled the lynching and the subsequent cover-up. —Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1678, in the meaning defined at sense 1