sear Definition
- 1to burn the surface of something with sudden very strong heat
- 2to make someone feel a sudden intense feeling
Using sear: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "sear" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
Sear the meat on both sides before cooking it.
Example
The hot iron seared his skin.
Example
The memory of her father's death was seared into her mind forever.
sear Synonyms and Antonyms
Idioms Using sear
Example
The documentary about animal cruelty seared my conscience and made me want to become a vegetarian.
Example
The image of the Twin Towers collapsing seared into the memories of everyone who witnessed it.
Example
The loss of her child seared her soul and left her feeling empty inside.
Phrases with sear
Example
I ordered the seared tuna salad for lunch.
seared conscience
a conscience that has become insensitive to moral or ethical standards due to repeated exposure to negative experiences
Example
After years of working in the prison system, he developed a seared conscience and became desensitized to the suffering of the inmates.
Example
The seared memory of the car accident haunted him for years.
Origins of sear
from Old English 'searian', meaning 'to wither'
Summary: sear in Brief
The verb 'sear' [sɪr] means to burn the surface of something with sudden very strong heat or to make someone feel a sudden intense feeling. It can refer to cooking techniques, as in 'Sear the meat on both sides before cooking it,' or to emotional experiences, as in 'The memory of her father's death was seared into her mind forever.' 'Sear' also appears in phrases like 'seared conscience,' which describes a conscience that has become insensitive to moral or ethical standards due to repeated exposure to negative experiences.