Meanings
nounscorch (countable and uncountable, plural scorches)
plural scorches
- countableuncountableA discolouration caused by heat.
verbscorch (third-person singular simple present scorches, present participle scorching, simple past and past participle scorched)
present singular third person scorches · participle present scorching · participle past scorched · past scorched
- ergative(To cause) to become scorched or singed
- intransitiveTo move at high speed (so as to leave scorch marks on the ground, physically or figuratively).
Men on cycles, lean-faced, unkempt, scorched along every country lane, shouting of unhoped deliverance, shouting to gaunt, staring figures of despair.
1898, H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann, page 2891 more example
England delivered an impressive statement of intent in the Rugby World Cup opener by scorching to a 69-7 victory against the United States in front of a record crowd of 42,723 in Sunderland.
2025 August 22, Mike Henson, “England open World Cup with 11-try win over USA”, in BBC Sport - To burn; to destroy by, or as by, fire.
the fire that scorches me to death
1681, John Dryden, The Spanish Fryar: Or, the Double Discovery. […], London: […] Richard Tonson and Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page number)1 more example
Power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Revelation 16:8
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA slight or surface burn.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
Also see
admonishbadmouthblackenblameblastblisterboilcastigatecensurecharchastisecome down oncondemncriticizedeploredeprecatedispraisedragfaultget downgive someone a speaking togive someone what forlambastemaulpanput someone in their placeread someone the riot actrebukereproachreprovescaldsearsingeslamslatetick offupbraidvilifyvituperatewhip
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Norseskorpna“to shrivel up”
- Middle Englishscorchen
- Englishscorch
From Middle English scorchen, scorcnen (“to make dry; parch”), perhaps an alteration of earlier *scorpnen, from Old Norse skorpna (“to shrivel up”).
More words from Middle English, Old Norse
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian обгаряне, обгарям
- обгаряне (obgarjane)A slight or surface burn
- обгарям (obgarjam)to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- изгарям (izgarjam)to wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire
- изгарям се (izgarjam se)to (cause to) become scorched or singed
- карам лудо (karam ludo)to move at high speed
Chinese Mandarin 烤焦, 疾驰
- 烤焦to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- 疾驰 (jíchí)to move at high speed
Czech ožehnutí, ožeh
- ožehnutíA slight or surface burn
- ožehA slight or surface burn
- sežehnutíA slight or surface burn
- ožehnoutto burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- sežehnoutto burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- spálitto wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire
- řítit seto move at high speed
- spálitto burn; to destroy by, or as by, fire
Dutch een verkleuring veroorzaakt door hitte, schroeien
- een verkleuring veroorzaakt door hitteA discolouration caused by heat
- schroeiento burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- verzengento burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- verschroeiento wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire
- verzengento (cause to) become scorched or singed
Finnish kärventymä, kärventymä
- kärventymäA slight or surface burn
- kärventymäA discolouration caused by heat
- palanut kohtaA discolouration caused by heat
- kuivunut kohtaBrown discoloration on the leaves of plants caused by heat, lack of water or by fungi
- paahtaato burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- korventaato burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- kärventääto burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- polttaato wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire
- paahtaato (cause to) become scorched or singed
- korventaato (cause to) become scorched or singed
- kärventääto (cause to) become scorched or singed
- paahtuato (cause to) become scorched or singed
- korventuato (cause to) become scorched or singed
- kärventyäto (cause to) become scorched or singed
- paahtaato move at high speed
- kaahatato move at high speed
French roussir, brûler
- roussirto burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- brûlerto burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- roussirto (cause to) become scorched or singed
- brûlerto (cause to) become scorched or singed
- incendierto attack with bitter sarcasm or virulence
German verbrennen, versengen
- verbrennento burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- versengento burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- verbrennento wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire
- rasento move at high speed
Hungarian perzsel
- perzselto burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
Irish tíor
- tíorto burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
Italian bruciacchiatura, strinatura
- bruciacchiaturaA slight or surface burn
- strinaturaA slight or surface burn
- bruciaturaA slight or surface burn
- scottaturaA slight or surface burn
- strinaturaA discolouration caused by heat
- imbrunimentoBrown discoloration on the leaves of plants caused by heat, lack of water or by fungi
- bruciacchiareto burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- scottareto burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- bruciareto wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire
- incendiareto wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire
- incenerireto wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire
- ardereto wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire
- fare tabula rasato wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire
- scottarsito (cause to) become scorched or singed
Korean 질주
- 질주 (jilju)to wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire
Latin adūrō, ūrō
- adūrōto burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- ūrōto wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire
Māori ngunu, hunuhunu
- ngunuto burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- hunuhunuto burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- rangirangito wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire
Persian پرهودن, پیهودن
- پرهودن (parhudan)to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- پیهودن (peyhudan)to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
Polish przypalić, przypalać
- przypalićto burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- przypalaćto burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- przypiekaćto wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire
Portuguese chamuscada, chamuscar
- chamuscadaA slight or surface burn
- chamuscarto burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- queimarto wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire
- chamuscarto (cause to) become scorched or singed
Russian ожо́г, обжига́ть
- ожо́г (ožóg)A slight or surface burn
- обжига́ть (obžigátʹ)to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- обже́чь (obžéčʹ)to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- пали́ть (palítʹ)to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- спали́ть (spalítʹ)to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- опаля́ть (opaljátʹ)to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- опали́ть (opalítʹ)to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- выжига́ть (vyžigátʹ)to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- вы́жечь (výžečʹ)to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- выгора́ть (vygorátʹ)to (cause to) become scorched or singed
- вы́гореть (výgoretʹ)to (cause to) become scorched or singed
- опаля́ться (opaljátʹsja)to (cause to) become scorched or singed
- опали́ться (opalítʹsja)to (cause to) become scorched or singed
Spanish chamuscar, achicharrar
- chamuscarto burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- achicharrarto burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- abrasarto burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- calcinarto burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
Swedish bränna
- brännato burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with scorch
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
scorch. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scorch
MLA
“scorch.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scorch. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “scorch,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scorch.
Source: scorch on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.