to reach or cause to reach the temperature at which a liquid starts to turn into a gas, especially by heating, to cook something in boiling water, a painful, pus-filled swelling on the skin caused by an infection of a hair follicle or sweat gland

boil down to, boil over, make one's blood boil

Formal and Informal Expressions of boil

In different contexts, you can replace 'boil' with suitable alternatives. In a more formal setting, 'heat to boiling point' is apt. In informal speech or writing, 'cook in hot water' is a commonplace synonym.

boil: Explore its Definition & Usage

boil Definition

1to reach or cause to reach the temperature at which a liquid starts to turn into a gas, especially by heating
2to cook something in boiling water
3a painful, pus-filled swelling on the skin caused by an infection of a hair follicle or sweat gland

Using boil: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "boil" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

Example
Boil the potatoes for 20 minutes.
Example
The water is boiling.
Example
I have a boil on my arm.
Example
The soup is boiling over!
Example
The tea kettle is starting to boil.

boil Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for boil

Antonyms for boil

Phrases with boil

boil down to
to be summarized or distilled to the most important or essential elements
Example
The argument boils down to a disagreement over money.
boil over
to overflow or spill over the sides of a container while boiling
Example
Be careful not to let the soup boil over.
make one's blood boil
to make someone very angry or upset
Example
The way he treated her made my blood boil.

📌

Summary: boil in Brief

The verb 'boil' [bɔɪl] refers to the process of heating a liquid until it turns into a gas, cooking something in boiling water, or a painful, pus-filled swelling on the skin. It can be used in phrases like 'boil down to,' meaning to summarize the most important elements, and 'make one's blood boil,' meaning to make someone very angry or upset.