Standard Lemma guide

boiling

adj · adv · noun · verb · 13 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈbɔɪlɪŋ/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɔɪlɪŋ
  • CMU ARPABET: B OY1 L IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

That boils or boil.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • boiling kettle boiling oil

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of a thing: extremely hot or active.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: excessive, informal

Examples

  • The radiator is boiling – I’m going to turn it down a bit.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Of a person: feeling uncomfortably hot.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: excessive, informal

Examples

  • I’m boiling – can’t we open a window?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: steaming, cooking, baking, frying

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Of the weather: very hot.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: excessive, informal

Examples

  • It’s boiling out today!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adv

Meaning 5

Extremely

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • He was boiling mad.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

The process of changing the state of a substance from liquid to gas by heating it to its boiling point.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: freezing

7

noun

Meaning 7

The cooking (of food) or cleaning (of an object) by immersing it in liquid (usually water) that is boiling.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

A turmoil; a disturbance like that of bubbling water.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

An animation style with constantly changing wavy outlines, giving a shimmering or wobbling appearance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

present participle and gerund of boil

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

adverb

Meaning 11

extremely

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • boiling mad

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

noun

Meaning 12

cooking in a liquid that has been brought to a boil

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stewing, simmering

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cooking, cookery, preparation

13

noun

Meaning 13

the application of heat to change something from a liquid to a gas

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: heating, warming, vaporization, vaporisation, vapor, vapour, evaporation

Narrower terms: decoction process, decoction mashing

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bew-der.? Proto-Indo-European *bhel-der.? Latin bulla Proto-Indo-European *-yétider. Latin -iō Latin bulliō Old French boillirbor. Middle English boillen English boil English -ing English boiling From boil + -ing.

Across languages

Translations

85 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: եռացող (eṙacʻoġ) — that boil(s)
  • Armenian: եռման (eṙman) — that boil(s)
  • Azerbaijani: qaynayan — that boil(s)
  • Bulgarian: врящ (vrjašt) — that boil(s)
  • Bulgarian: кипящ (kipjašt) — that boil(s)
  • Catalan: bullent — that boil(s)
  • Czech: vřící — that boil(s)
  • Finnish: kiehuva — that boil(s)
  • French: bouillant — that boil(s)
  • Galician: fervente — that boil(s)
  • Georgian: მდუღარე (mduɣare) — that boil(s)
  • German: kochend — that boil(s)
  • Hebrew: רוֹתֵחַ (rotéakh) — that boil(s)
  • Italian: bollente — that boil(s)
  • Latin: fervidus — that boil(s)
  • Latin: ēbulliēns — that boil(s)
  • Latin: fervēns — that boil(s)
  • Portuguese: fervente — that boil(s)
  • Spanish: hervoroso — that boil(s)
  • Swedish: kokande — that boil(s)
  • Telugu: మరుగు (marugu) — that boil(s)
  • Telugu: మరుగుతున్న (marugutunna) — that boil(s)
  • Telugu: మరుగుచున్న (marugucunna) — that boil(s)
  • Turkish: kaynar — that boil(s)
  • Vietnamese: sôi — that boil(s)
  • Walloon: bolant — that boil(s)
  • Arabic: حامي (ḥāmi) — of a thing: extremely hot
  • Azerbaijani: qaynar — of a thing: extremely hot
  • Bulgarian: врял (vrjal) — of a thing: extremely hot
  • Dutch: kokend — of a thing: extremely hot
  • Finnish: tulikuuma — of a thing: extremely hot
  • Galician: fervente — of a thing: extremely hot
  • Greek: καυτός (kaftós) — of a thing: extremely hot
  • Hebrew: רוֹתֵחַ (rotéakh) — of a thing: extremely hot
  • Italian: bollente — of a thing: extremely hot
  • Latin: fervidus — of a thing: extremely hot
  • Serbo-Croatian: vrelo — of a thing: extremely hot
  • Spanish: hervoroso — of a thing: extremely hot
  • Swedish: kokande — of a thing: extremely hot
  • Swedish: kokhet — of a thing: extremely hot
  • Telugu: కాలుతున్న (kālutunna) — of a thing: extremely hot
  • Telugu: కాలుచున్న (kālucunna) — of a thing: extremely hot
  • Turkish: kaynar — of a thing: extremely hot
  • Walloon: bolant — of a thing: extremely hot
  • Finnish: läkähtyä — of a person: feeling uncomfortably hot
  • Hebrew: קוֹדֵחַ (qodéakh) — of a person: feeling uncomfortably hot
  • Finnish: helteinen — of the weather: very hot
  • Hebrew: לוֹהֵט (lohéT) — of the weather: very hot
  • Swedish: kokhet — of the weather: very hot
  • Telugu: మండుచున్న (maṇḍucunna) — of the weather: very hot
  • Arabic: غَلَيَان (ḡalayān) — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Armenian: եռում (eṙum) — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Azerbaijani: qaynama — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Bulgarian: кипене (kipene) — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Czech: var — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Finnish: kiehuttaminen — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Finnish: keittäminen — process of changing the state of a substance
  • French: ébullition — process of changing the state of a substance
  • French: bouillonnement — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Galician: ebulición — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Georgian: დუღილი (duɣili) — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Ancient Greek: ἕψησις (hépsēsis) — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Hebrew: רְתִיחָה — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Irish: bruith — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Italian: ebollizione — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Japanese: 沸騰 (futtō) — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Kyrgyz: кайнатуу (kaynatuu) — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Kyrgyz: кайноо (kaynoo) — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Kyrgyz: бышыруу (bışıruu) — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Kyrgyz: кайнап жаткан (kaynap jatkan) — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Kyrgyz: кайнаган (kaynagan) — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Kyrgyz: бышып жаткан (bışıp jatkan) — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Latin: ēbullītiō — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Portuguese: ebulição — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Portuguese: fervura — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Russian: кипе́ние (kipénije) — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Sicilian: vuḍḍuta — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Sicilian: vugghiuta — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Swedish: kokning — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Tagalog: pagkulo — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Tagalog: pagkukumulo — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Ottoman Turkish: غلیان (galeyân) — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Ottoman Turkish: فوران (feverân) — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Walloon: bolaedje — process of changing the state of a substance
  • Walloon: cujhaedje — process of changing the state of a substance
Real reading context

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