parch
C1Slightly formal, literary, descriptive. Common in written contexts about weather, cooking, and figurative language.
Definition
Meaning
to make something extremely dry, especially by heat; to deprive of moisture.
To cause to suffer from thirst or intense dryness; to become dry and scorched. Can be used metaphorically for emotional or spiritual dryness.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies a severe, often uncomfortable or damaging, degree of dryness caused by heat or exposure. Has a more intense connotation than simply 'dry'. Often used in passive constructions ('parched').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Slightly more common in American English descriptions of arid climates.
Connotations
Both varieties share connotations of extreme heat, thirst, and aridity.
Frequency
Comparable frequency; perhaps marginally higher in American English due to descriptions of the Southwestern landscape.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[VN] The sun parched the grass.[V] The grass parched in the summer heat.[VN-ADJ] The drought parched the land bone-dry.BE parched (adjective) 'I'm parched!'Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[BE] parched (as an adjective) meaning very thirsty.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Potentially in agriculture, climate, or water resource reports (e.g., 'parched crops led to lower yields').
Academic
Used in geography, environmental science, and literature to describe landscapes or metaphorical states.
Everyday
Common in weather descriptions and to express thirst ('I'm parched!').
Technical
Used in soil science, agriculture, and meteorology to describe extreme dryness.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The summer heatwave will parch the gardens.
- After hours in the sun, his lips were parched and cracked.
American English
- The desert sun parched the canyon floor.
- They parched the corn kernels over the fire to make hominy.
adverb
British English
- (No standard adverbial form. 'Parchingly' is extremely rare/non-standard.)
American English
- (No standard adverbial form.)
adjective
British English
- After the hike, I was absolutely parched.
- The parched lawn crunched underfoot.
American English
- Can I get some water? I'm parched.
- They drove through miles of parched farmland.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I am very parched. Can I have a drink?
- The sun is hot today.
- The long walk in the sun left us feeling parched.
- In summer, the grass often becomes dry and yellow.
- The relentless drought has parched the once-fertile valley.
- Her throat was parched from nervousness before the speech.
- Decades of irrigation mismanagement have parched the aquifer, causing ecological collapse.
- He felt spiritually parched, devoid of inspiration or passion.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a desert ARCH made of sun-baked, PARCHed clay. The sun PARCHes the ARCH.
Conceptual Metaphor
HEAT/LACK OF WATER IS A TORTURER (parches the land), DESIRE IS THIRST (parched for knowledge).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'прожарить' (to fry/roast thoroughly). 'Parch' is about removing moisture, not adding heat for cooking per se, though it can be a method. Closer to 'высушить' or 'иссушить', especially by heat. The adjective 'parched' meaning 'thirsty' has no direct single-word equivalent.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'parch' for normal drying (use 'dry'). Incorrect: *'She parched her hair with a towel.' Correct: 'The relentless sun parched the riverbed.'
- Confusing 'parched' (adj) with 'peckish' (a little hungry). 'Parched' is for thirst.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'parch' used MOST appropriately?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, while commonly associated with the sun's heat, 'parch' can refer to drying by any intense heat source (e.g., fire, oven) or metaphorical dryness (e.g., 'parched for attention').
They are close synonyms. 'Desiccate' is more technical/scientific and implies a complete removal of moisture. 'Parch' often carries a stronger connotation of heat as the cause and resulting discomfort (e.g., thirst, cracking).
Yes, very commonly, especially to describe a person who is very thirsty ('I'm parched!') or land that is extremely dry ('parched earth').
No, that is incorrect. 'Parch' implies an extreme, often damaging dryness, not routine drying. Use 'dry' or 'dry out' instead. 'The clothes were drying on the line.'