cs ožehnutí (A slight or surface burn) · bg обгаряне (A slight or surface burn) · it bruciacchiatura (A slight or surface burn) · pt chamuscada (A slight or surface burn) · fi kärventymä (A slight or surface burn) · fi palanut kohta (A discolouration caused by heat) · scn stinciuta (A discolouration caused by heat) · it strinatura (A slight or surface burn) · scn scumputa (A discolouration caused by heat) · scn affaratura (A slight or surface burn) · nl een verkleuring veroorzaakt door hitte (A discolouration caused by heat) · cs sežehnutí (A slight or surface burn) · it scottatura (A slight or surface burn) · ru ожо́г (A slight or surface burn) · it imbrunimento (Brown discoloration on the leaves of plants caused by heat, lack of water or by fungi) · sq shlyerje (A discolouration caused by heat) · cs ožeh (A slight or surface burn) · fi kärventymä (A discolouration caused by heat) · it bruciatura (A slight or surface burn) · it strinatura (A discolouration caused by heat) · ang senġan (A slight or surface burn) · sq skuq (A slight or surface burn) · fi kuivunut kohta (Brown discoloration on the leaves of plants caused by heat, lack of water or by fungi) · scn fuchiata (Brown discoloration on the leaves of plants caused by heat, lack of water or by fungi)
From Middle English scorchen, scorcnen (“to make dry; parch”), perhaps an alteration of earlier *scorpnen, from Old Norse skorpna (“to shrivel up”).
Meanings
(transitive) To burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
(transitive) To wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire, especially to make land or buildings unusable to an enemy
Lashed by mad rage, and scorched by brutal fires. 1709, Matthew Prior, Pleasure:
(ergative) (To cause) to become scorched or singed
(intransitive) To move at high speed (so as to leave scorch marks on the ground, physically or figuratively).
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:
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 289:
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):
Power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Revelation 16:8:
(transitive) To attack with bitter sarcasm or virulence.
(colloquial, dated, intransitive) To ride a bicycle furiously on a public highway.
I may not scorch on thee again—thou'rt pinched, my silent steed! 1897, “The scorcher's farewell to his steed”, in Edmond Redmond, editor, Lyra Cyclus […] , Rochester, NY, page 59:
mi ngunu (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · it scottare (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · nl verzengen (to (cause to) become scorched or singed) · bg изгарям (to wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire) · it incenerire (to wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire) · ru вы́гореть (to (cause to) become scorched or singed) · nl verzengen (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · io bruletar (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · it bruciare (to wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire) · fr roussir (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · ru опали́ть (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · mi rangirangi (to wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire) · ru выгора́ть (to (cause to) become scorched or singed) · la adūrō (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · fi kaahata (to move at high speed) · fr roussir (to (cause to) become scorched or singed) · ru опаля́ть (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · ko 질주 (to wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire) · it scottarsi (to (cause to) become scorched or singed) · fi korventua (to (cause to) become scorched or singed) · gl queimar (to wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire) · fi paahtaa (to (cause to) become scorched or singed) · cs spálit (to wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire) · fi kärventyä (to (cause to) become scorched or singed) · ru пали́ть (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · io bruletar (to wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire) · de verbrennen (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · fi kärventää (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · fa پیهودن (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · ru опали́ться (to (cause to) become scorched or singed) · es calcinar (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · fi paahtaa (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · gl chamuscar (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · de versengen (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · fa پرهودن (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · bg карам лудо (to move at high speed) · pt queimar (to wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire) · ru вы́жечь (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · ru спали́ть (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · mi hunuhunu (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · es achicharrar (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · es abrasar (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · gl torrar (to wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire) · de verbrennen (to wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire) · fi paahtaa (to burn; to destroy by, or as by, fire) · pt chamuscar (to (cause to) become scorched or singed) · ru выжига́ть (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · ota یانمق (to (cause to) become scorched or singed) · bg обгарям (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · io bruletar (to (cause to) become scorched or singed) · cs řítit se (to move at high speed) · hu perzsel (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · es chamuscar (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · fr brûler (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · cs spálit (to burn; to destroy by, or as by, fire) · fi polttaa (to wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire) · nl verschroeien (to wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire) · pt chamuscar (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · fi paahtaa (to move at high speed) · it incendiare (to wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire) · ga tíor (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · fi kärventää (to (cause to) become scorched or singed) · cs ožehnout (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · gl esturruxar (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · fr brûler (to (cause to) become scorched or singed) · gl chamuscar (to (cause to) become scorched or singed) · de rasen (to move at high speed) · it ardere (to wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire) · pl przypalać (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · fi korventaa (to (cause to) become scorched or singed) · cmn 疾驰 (to move at high speed) · ru обжига́ть (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · az ütmək (to wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire) · fi polttaa (to burn; to destroy by, or as by, fire) · la ūrō (to wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire) · fi paahtua (to (cause to) become scorched or singed) · fi korventaa (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · ru обже́чь (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · sa प्लोषति (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · cmn 烤焦 (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · ru опаля́ться (to (cause to) become scorched or singed) · cs sežehnout (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · pl przypalić (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · it bruciacchiare (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · pl przypiekać (to wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire) · fr incendier (to attack with bitter sarcasm or virulence) · fi hiillostaa (to attack with bitter sarcasm or virulence) · it fare tabula rasa (to wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire) · nl schroeien (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · gl torrar (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it) · bg изгарям се (to (cause to) become scorched or singed) · sv bränna (to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it)