scald

To scald someone is mostly about heat. It usually means hurting skin with very hot liquid or steam. If you spill hot tea on your hand, the skin may be scalded. The word is also common in cooking. A recipe may tell you to scald milk, which means to heat it until it is very hot but not boiling.

Sometimes the word is used in a figurative way too. Sharp words, shame, or grief can feel as if they scald, meaning they hurt suddenly and deeply. The main idea in every use is the same: strong heat, or something that feels like it.

The word "scald" is strongly tied to burning heat. Most often, it means to injure skin with very hot liquid or steam. This is different from a burn caused by direct fire or a hot solid surface. For example, a child might scald a hand by touching a cup of fresh soup, or a cook might scald an arm with steam from a pot.

In cooking, "scald" also has a special meaning. It can mean to heat a liquid, usually milk, until it is very hot and close to boiling, but not fully boiling. Older and modern recipes both use this instruction. A baker may scald milk before mixing it into dough or batter.

The word can also be used figuratively. In that sense, it describes something that hurts like sudden heat. Harsh words, deep shame, or painful memories may be said to scald. This use is less literal, but the image is clear: the feeling is sharp, strong, and hard to ignore.

The noun form is also common. A "scald" is the injury itself, especially one caused by hot water, oil, or steam. Whether the word is used for an accident in the kitchen, a step in a recipe, or a sharp figurative hurt, it always carries the idea of intense heat and sudden damage.