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adj A2 Elementary Uncommon

boiled

boyld

Boiled (adj) means cooked by being immersed in boiling water. Example: “She served boiled potatoes with butter and herbs.”

adj
1
Cooked by being immersed in boiling water.
"She served boiled potatoes with butter and herbs."
2
Informal: drunk.
"By midnight he was completely boiled."

How to Use Boiled

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishCooked in boiling water — or, informally, very drunk.

When to use it

The "drunk" sense is slang and dated/regional.

Common pairings
boiled egg boiled potatoes

Word Forms

more boiled comparative, most boiled superlative

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She served _____ potatoes with butter and herbs.

Related Words

Rhymes for boiled

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does “boiled” mean?

The word “boiled” means cooked by being immersed in boiling water. In plain terms, cooked in boiling water — or, informally, very drunk.

How do you pronounce “boiled”?

“Boiled” is pronounced boyld (/bɔɪld/ in IPA).

How do you use “boiled” in a sentence?

Here is “boiled” used in a sentence: “She served boiled potatoes with butter and herbs.”

What part of speech is “boiled”?

“Boiled” is an adjective.

Is “boiled” a common word?

“Boiled” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

How many meanings does “boiled” have?

“Boiled” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: cooked by being immersed in boiling water.

What is the difference between boiled and steamed food?

Boiled food is cooked by being immersed directly in boiling water, while steamed food is cooked by the heat of steam without direct contact with the water. Boiling can leach out more nutrients and flavor into the water than steaming.

What does it mean to call someone boiled?

Calling someone boiled is an informal way of saying they are drunk. This slang usage is unrelated to cooking and is typically found in casual or dated speech.

Why do some recipes specify hard-boiled versus soft-boiled?

Hard-boiled and soft-boiled describe how long an egg has been cooked by being boiled, with hard-boiled meaning the yolk is fully set and soft-boiled meaning the yolk remains runny. Both are variations on the basic boiled cooking method.

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