What does scorch mean?
Scorch means to burn, parch, or blacken the surface of something through intense heat. It can describe the effect of fire, fierce sunlight, or extreme conditions on vegetation, skin, buildings, vehicles, and other objects. A “scorch” as a noun is the mark or damaged area produced by such heat, and the word can also refer figuratively to severe destruction or harm. In informal usage, to “scorch” through a journey or race means to move at tremendous speed, while “scorching heat” describes dangerously high temperatures. The word often conveys an abrupt and damaging result rather than the gradual action of ordinary heating. Although it is used literally, scorch also frequently appears in figurative expressions concerned with speed, intensity, and devastation. Its combination of concrete physical meaning and vivid metaphorical associations makes it particularly effective for describing extremes of heat, speed, or damage.
To burn, parch, or blacken the surface of something; figuratively, to damage severely or move at very high speed.
"The drought scorched the hillside and left the trees brittle."
The figurative sense meaning to move very fast is informal, as in “scorching through the countryside.”
A burn or discolored area caused by intense heat; figuratively, severe damage or destruction.
"There was a black scorch around the edge of the damaged panel."
The noun is less common than the verb and is often used in the figurative senses of severe damage or extreme heat.
The plural is uncommon; the singular is normally used for an individual burn, marked area, or instance of damage.
"The panel was covered with several small scorches."
From sun-blackened fields to cars racing at scorching speed, scorch captures the ferocity of dry, intense heat.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of scorch
Scorch developed from Old English scorcan, meaning to burn or parch, and continued through Middle English as scorchen. Its deeper Germanic ancestry is associated with cognates meaning to parch or wither, including Dutch schorren, German schorren, and Low German schörren. The English word retained both its literal sense of burning or drying and developed figurative meanings involving severe damage and extreme speed.
Related word forms
How scorch is actually used
The word is common in both British and American English, with the main pronunciation difference being the rhotic sound in the US. Its figurative uses can suggest rapid movement, severe damage, or extreme heat; “scorching” is especially common in informal descriptions of hot weather and fast cars.
Easily confused with scorch
A scald is an injury caused by hot liquid or steam, whereas a scorch is generally caused by intense heat acting on a surface.