grill
B1Informal to neutral; culinary use is neutral, metaphorical 'questioning' is informal.
Definition
Meaning
To cook food on a metal frame over direct heat, usually from below.
1. The metal cooking apparatus itself (noun). 2. To question someone intensely and persistently (verb).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
As a cooking method, 'grill' in British English refers to radiant heat from above (broiling in US). In US English, it primarily refers to cooking over an open flame (e.g., barbecue). The metaphorical sense 'to interrogate' is derived from the intensity of the heat.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In UK: 'grill' (verb) = to cook under a radiant heat source in an oven (US: broil). In US: 'grill' (verb) = to cook over direct heat, typically on a barbecue or griddle. The noun 'grill' can also refer to a restaurant serving grilled food, especially in the US (e.g., 'steak grill').
Connotations
UK: Domestic, indoor cooking. US: Often outdoor, social, associated with barbecues. The interrogative sense is equally strong in both.
Frequency
Culinary sense is high-frequency in both. The interrogative sense is common in informal/news contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
SVOO: She grilled him a steak.SVOA: He grilled the suspect for hours.SVO: We'll grill the vegetables.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Grill someone to a crisp (figurative, meaning to interrogate mercilessly)”
- “Put on the grill (to start cooking or, metaphorically, to apply pressure)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except metaphorically: 'The CEO was grilled by shareholders about the losses.'
Academic
Very rare, except in specific culinary or historical texts.
Everyday
Very common for cooking and informal questioning.
Technical
Used in culinary arts and appliance manufacturing.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Could you grill the cheese on toast for me?
- The journalists grilled the minister on her policy U-turn.
American English
- Let's grill some burgers and corn for the 4th of July.
- The detective grilled the suspect in the interrogation room.
adverb
British English
- Not commonly used as an adverb.
American English
- Not commonly used as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- Grill temperature is crucial for a good steak.
- This is a grill restaurant specialising in seafood.
American English
- The grill master showed us his technique.
- I need a new grill brush to clean the barbecue.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I like to grill fish for dinner.
- We have a small grill in our kitchen.
- He grilled the chicken until it was cooked through.
- The police grilled the witness about the stolen car.
- After being grilled by the committee for an hour, she felt exhausted.
- They decided to invest in a state-of-the-art outdoor grill.
- The senator's evasive answers only made the reporters more determined to grill him on the scandal.
- The chef demonstrated how to achieve perfect cross-hatch grill marks on the steak.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a GRILLed suspect feeling the HEAT from questions, just like food on a hot metal frame.
Conceptual Metaphor
INTENSE QUESTIONING IS COOKING/HEATING ('I was grilled by the interview panel.')
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не путать с 'гриль' (устройство) и 'жарить' (способ). В британском английском 'grill' — это 'жарить под грилем/духовкой', а не на сковороде (fry).
- Русский глагол 'грилировать' — явная калька, в английском просто 'to grill'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'grill' for frying in a pan (correct: fry/sauté).
- Confusing UK 'grill' with US 'broil'.
- Incorrect: 'I will grill the eggs.' (Unless using a grill pan, likely 'fry' or 'scramble').
Practice
Quiz
In British English, if a recipe says 'grill the tomatoes', what should you do?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In American English, they are often used synonymously for the cooking device. In British English, a BBQ often refers to an outdoor charcoal or gas device for cooking over heat, while a 'grill' is often the indoor part of an oven. However, 'BBQ' (barbecue) also refers to the social event and the food style.
Grilling uses direct, high heat from one direction (above or below) for shorter times. Roasting uses indirect, surrounding heat in an oven for longer times, often for larger cuts of meat or vegetables.
Yes, very commonly. It means to subject someone to intense questioning, e.g., 'The interview panel grilled me about my previous experience.'
It's a historical divergence in appliance design and terminology. Both uses derive from the idea of cooking on a gridiron (a metal grate), but the application of the heat source (from above vs. below) became standardised differently in the two regions.
Collections
Part of a collection
Food and Cooking
A2 · 50 words · Cooking methods, kitchen tools and recipes.