1. Severely critical
   "The movie received a searing review from the renowned critic";
   - scorching
    
2. Hot and dry enough to burn or parch a surface
   "The searing desert sun made travel impossible";
   - scorching

1. (cooking) burn slightly and superficially so as to affect colour
   "The fire seared the ceiling above the mantelpiece";
   - char, blacken, scorch
    
2. Make very hot and dry
   "The heat seared the countryside";
   - scorch
    
3. Become superficially burned
   "my eyebrows seared when I bent over the flames";
   - scorch, singe

See also: critical, hot

Type of: burn, combust, heat, heat up

Encyclopedia: Searing