broil
B2Slightly formal culinary; informal for extended meaning.
Definition
Meaning
To cook food directly under a very strong, direct source of heat, usually in an oven.
1. To cause something to become extremely hot and uncomfortable. 2. (Chiefly US) To be in a state of extreme anger or heated argument.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
In cooking, implies a dry-heat method with the heat source above the food, distinct from grilling (US: under heat, UK: over heat) and baking (surrounded by heat).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The cooking sense is standard in both varieties, but the verb is far more common in American English. In British English, 'grill' is the default term for cooking under direct heat. The figurative sense 'to argue heatedly' is almost exclusively American.
Connotations
In American English, 'broil' has strong culinary associations and can also connote domestic conflict ('a broiling argument'). In British English, it sounds somewhat technical or like an Americanism.
Frequency
High frequency in American culinary contexts; low to medium in British, where 'grill' is preferred.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] broils [Object][Object] broils (intransitive, e.g., 'The fish broiled quickly')[Subject] broils [Object] [Adjunct of time/distance] (e.g., 'Broil the peppers for three minutes')Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “broil over (US, for an argument escalating)”
- “in a broil (archaic/regional for a state of tumult)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Potentially in restaurant or appliance industry contexts.
Academic
Rare, except in historical texts describing conflicts.
Everyday
Common in American cooking instructions and informal descriptions of arguments.
Technical
Standard in culinary arts and oven/appliance manuals.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- For a crispy top, you may need to grill – or broil, as our American friends say – the cheese for a final minute.
- The recipe said to broil the aubergine slices, but I just grilled them.
American English
- Set the oven to broil and cook the salmon for 6-8 minutes.
- The senators broiled over the new amendment for hours.
adverb
British English
- (Virtually unused)
American English
- (Virtually unused)
adjective
British English
- (Rare) The broiling sun made the hike unbearable.
- (Rare) It was a broiling hot day.
American English
- We escaped the broiling heat in the air-conditioned mall.
- The broiling pavement burned my feet.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The chicken is under the broil in the oven.
- It is very hot, we are broiling in this sun.
- Broil the vegetables until they start to blacken at the edges.
- The two politicians broiled in a public argument on television.
- For the perfect finish, broil the crème brûlée topping just before serving.
- The committee broiled over the budget details, unable to reach a compromise.
- The documentary captured the broiling tensions within the community, a conflict that had been simmering for decades.
- The chef demonstrated how to properly broil a thick cut of meat without drying out the interior.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'BOIL' uses water; 'BROIL' uses the 'BROiling' heat from above.
Conceptual Metaphor
INTENSE HEAT IS CONFLICT (US) / COOKING IS A PROCESS APPLIED FROM A SPECIFIC DIRECTION.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'жарить' which typically translates as 'fry' or 'roast'. 'Broil' is specifically 'готовить под грилем' or 'запекать под верхним нагревателем'. The argument sense ('to broil') has no direct equivalent and is an American idiom.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'broil' to mean frying in a pan. Confusing 'broil' (heat from above) with 'grill' (UK: heat from above; US: heat from below). Using the argument sense in UK contexts where it would be misunderstood.
Practice
Quiz
In American English, which sentence uses 'broil' correctly in its figurative sense?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In British English, 'grill' is the equivalent cooking term. In American English, 'grill' usually means cooking over a heat source (like a barbecue), while 'broil' means cooking under a heat source in an oven.
Yes, 'broiling' is used as an adjective, especially in American English, to describe extremely hot and uncomfortable weather (e.g., 'a broiling summer day').
The cooking process is called 'broiling'. In older or literary use, 'a broil' could mean a noisy quarrel or fight, but this is now rare.
The figurative extension from 'being very hot' to 'being in a heated argument' is an idiomatic development specific to American English. British English uses metaphors like 'have a blazing row' or 'be in a heated argument' instead.