Blackening: meaning, definitions and examples

Given the repetition, the context is the same as the first entry.

• The meat had a delicious blackening crust from the grill.
• The blackening of the walls indicated the extent of the fire damage.

Generally used to describe something that is on fire or has been destroyed by fire. It can also refer to intense emotional feelings.

• The house was burning uncontrollably by the time the firefighters arrived.
• She felt a burning desire to win the competition.

Specific to the partial burning of an object, leaving it blackened but not completely destroyed. This term is often used in cooking and fire damage descriptions.

• The vegetables had a nice charring that added flavor.
• The charring on the wood showed how intense the fire had been.

Usually describes something being burned on the surface with strong heat, but not necessarily turned black. It can also be used metaphorically to describe extreme heat or criticism.

• The scorching sun made it difficult to stay outside for long.
• The critic gave a scorching review of the movie.