scorched earth

noun

Land that has been abandoned, in the face of an advancing enemy, after the destruction of all resources on it.

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Meanings

nounscorched earth (uncountable)
  1. uncountablegovernmentLand that has been abandoned, in the face of an advancing enemy, after the destruction of all resources on it.
  2. uncountablegovernmentThe strategy of destroying all resources in an area of land in order to deny their use to an advancing enemy.
adjectivescorched earth (comparative more scorched earth, superlative most scorched earth)

comparative more scorched earth · superlative most scorched earth

  1. alternativeAlternative spelling of scorched-earth.

Origin

Calque from Chinese 焦土 (jiāotǔ, “scorched earth; ravages of war”), originally in reference to the strategy adopted by the Chinese government in the Second Sino-Japanese War. First attested in 1937 as an idiom.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic سِيَاسَةُ الأَرْضِ المَحْرُوقَة
  • سِيَاسَةُ الأَرْضِ المَحْرُوقَة (siyāsatu l-ʔarḍi l-maḥrūqa)Translations
Chinese Mandarin 焦土
  • 焦土 (jiāotǔ)Translations
Danish brændte jords taktik
  • brændte jords taktikTranslations
Dutch verschroeide aarde
  • verschroeide aardeTranslations
Finnish poltettu maa
  • poltettu maaTranslations
French terre brûlée
  • terre brûléeTranslations
German verbrannte Erde
  • verbrannte ErdeTranslations
Hungarian felperzselt föld
  • felperzselt földTranslations
Italian terra bruciata
  • terra bruciataTranslations
Japanese 焦土
  • 焦土 (shōdo)Translations
Polish spalona ziemia
  • spalona ziemiaTranslations
Russian вы́жженная земля́
  • вы́жженная земля́ (výžžennaja zemljá)Translations
Spanish tierra quemada, tierra chamuscada
  • tierra quemadaTranslations
  • tierra chamuscadaTranslations
  • tierra achicharradaTranslations
Swedish bränd jord, brända jordens taktik
  • bränd jordTranslations
  • brända jordens taktikTranslations
Vietnamese tiêu thổ
  • tiêu thổTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

scorched earth. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scorched%20earth

MLA

“scorched earth.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scorched%20earth. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “scorched earth,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scorched%20earth.

Source: scorched earth on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.