sear
1 of 4adjective
less common spelling of sere
1
: being dried and withered
2
archaic : threadbare
sear
2 of 4verb
ˈsir 
seared; searing; sears
intransitive verb
: to cause withering or drying
transitive verb
1
: to make withered and dry : parch
2
a
: to burn, scorch, mark, or injure with or as if with sudden application of intense heat
b
: to cook the surface of quickly with intense heat
sear a steak
sear
3 of 4noun (1)
: a mark or scar left by searing
sear
4 of 4noun (2)
: the catch that holds the hammer of a gun's lock at cock or half cock
Synonyms
Verb
- char
- scorch
- singe
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb The tree was seared by lightning. The flames seared my skin. The steak was seared over a hot grill.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English seren, from Old English sēarian to become dry, from sēar sere
Noun (2)
probably from Middle French serre grasp, from serrer to press, grasp, from Old French, from Late Latin serare to bolt, latch, from Latin sera bar for fastening a door
First Known Use
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
Noun (1)
1874, in the meaning defined above
Noun (2)
1596, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
sear
verb
ˈsir
seared; searing
1
: to burn, mark, or injure with or as if with sudden heat
searing pain
The sight was seared into my memory.
2
: to dry by or as if by heat : parch
3
: to quickly cook the surface by high heat
sear 1 of 2
verb
1
as in to char
to burn on the surface lightly sear the steaks, but don't cook them all the way through Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- char
- scorch
- singe
- bake
- light
- ignite
- fire
- enflame
- kindle
- incinerate
- inflame
- scald
- scathe
- cremate
2
as in to dry
to make dry the clear desert air is seared by the summer sun Synonyms & Similar Words
- dry
- scorch
- parch
- bake
- drain
- desiccate
- dehydrate
- evaporate
- dehumidify
- shrivel
- wizen
- wither
- mummify
- air-dry
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- wash
- soak
- wet
- water
- saturate
- bathe
- drown
- flood
- moisten
- drench
- douse
- overflow
- dampen
- inundate
- hydrate
- damp
- souse
- sop
- dip
- waterlog
- humidify
- deluge
- dowse
- swamp
- dunk
- submerge
- rehydrate
sear
2 of 2noun
as in burn
Synonyms & Similar Words
- burn
- scald
- scar
- harm
- hurt
- scathe
- mutilation
- damage
- injury
- crippling
- beating
- lesion
- detriment
- disability
- impairment
- disfigurement
- mayhem
- wound
- rupture
- affliction
- abrasion
- swelling
- scratch
- bruise
- chafe
- contusion
- defacement
- scrape
- disablement
- strain
- bump
- concussion
- boo-boo
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- healing
- recovery
- cure
- remedy
- fix
- semitizing
- Semito-
- semitonal
- semitonally
- semitone
- semitones
- semitonic
- semitonically
- semitrailer
- semitrailers
- semitrailing
- semitrances
- semitranslucent
- semitransparencies
- semitransparency
- semitransparencyes
- semitransparencys
- semitransparent
- semitropic
- semitropical
- semitropics
- semitruck
- semiuncial
- semiunderground
- semivitreous