scalding

S1C3A1L1D2I1N1G2

adjective

Hot enough to burn.

“a scalding attack on his critics”

Similar
steepingescaline
OriginEnglish scald ← Middle English scalden ← Old Northern French escalder →
UncommonScrabble 12
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Meanings

scalding1

adjectivescalding (comparative more scalding, superlative most scalding)

comparative more scalding · superlative most scalding

  1. Hot enough to burn.
  2. figurativelyScorching; scathing.

    a scalding attack on his critics

verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of scald
nounscalding (plural scaldings)

plural scaldings

  1. An instance of scalding: a burn.

scalding2

nounscalding (plural scaldings)

plural scaldings · alternative stalling

  1. historicalhobbiesSynonym of escaline, (particularly) the form circulated by Stephen de Fulbourn in Ireland as a debased form of the sterling silver penny, outlawed under Edward I of England.

    Synonyms: steeping, escaline

Synonyms & antonyms

nounSynonym of escaline, (particularly) the form circulated by Stephen de Fulbourn in Ireland as a debased form of the sterling silver penny, outlawed under Edward I of England.

Similar
steepingescaline
Also see
scalding hotsteeping

Origin

scalding · adjective, verb, noun

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁éǵʰs
  2. Proto-Italic*eks
  3. Latinex
  4. Latinex-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*ḱleh₁-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*ḱl̥h₁éh₁yeti
  7. Proto-Italic*kalēō
  8. Latincaleō
  9. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
  10. Latincalidus
  11. Latincaldus
  12. Latinexcaldō
  13. Old Northern Frenchescalder
  14. Middle Englishscalden
  15. Englishscald
  16. Englishscalding

From scald + -ing.

Full word history & related roots →

scalding · noun

  1. Middle Dutchschelling“shilling”
  2. Old Frenchescalin
  3. Englishscalding

From Old French escalin, from Middle Dutch schelling (“shilling”). Doublet of shilling.

More words from Old French, Middle Dutch

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

scalding. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scalding

MLA

“scalding.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scalding. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “scalding,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scalding.

Source: scalding on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.