To sear means to cook something quickly at very high heat so the outside turns brown and crusty while the inside stays tender. When you sear a steak in a hot pan, the surface develops a dark, caramelized crust that locks in flavor and juices. Professional chefs sear meat, fish, and vegetables to create that delicious browned layer before finishing the cooking at lower heat.

The word also means to burn or scorch something with intense heat. A lightning strike might sear the bark of a tree. Desert heat can sear exposed skin. When something is searing hot, it's hot enough to burn on contact, like a pan fresh from the oven or pavement on a blazing summer day.

You'll also hear searing used to describe something intensely sharp or painful, like searing criticism that cuts deeply or searing pain from an injury. This meaning captures how extreme heat feels: immediate, intense, and impossible to ignore.