adjective Common

cooked

kuukt

Cooked (adjective) means prepared by the application of heat. Example: “She served a perfectly cooked steak with roasted vegetables.”

adjective

Prepared by the application of heat.

"She served a perfectly cooked steak with roasted vegetables."

"The rice was fully cooked after fifteen minutes."

(informal) Faked, manipulated, or fraudulently altered.

"Investors sued after learning the company had cooked its books."

"The evidence looked cooked to fit the detective's theory."

(informal) In serious trouble, or completely finished; done for.

"If the boss finds out about this, we're cooked."

"The team is cooked after losing three starters to injury."

(slang) Drunk, high, or otherwise intoxicated.

"He was too cooked to drive home from the party."

How to Use Cooked

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishFinished by heat when it means food, but in slang it can mean fabricated, doomed, or drunk depending on context.

Common mistake

Context matters a lot here — "the books were cooked" is fraud, "he's cooked" can mean exhausted, doomed, or drunk. Don't mix registers in formal writing.

Common pairings

cook the books we're cooked fully cooked

Word Forms

more cooked comparative, most cooked superlative

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

She served a perfectly _____ steak with roasted vegetables.

Etymology

Simply the past participle of the verb cook, extended over time into an adjective for anything "done" — whether that's food, a person's prospects, or someone's sobriety.

Synonyms

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prepared done heated falsified doctored fabricated

Related Words

over done ready hot finished completed prepared planned

Rhymes for cooked

smoked choked hooked looked stoked crooked spooked stroked overcooked unprovoked overlooked overbooked

See all rhymes for cooked →

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “cooked” mean?

The word “cooked” means prepared by the application of heat. In plain terms, finished by heat when it means food, but in slang it can mean fabricated, doomed, or drunk depending on context.

How do you pronounce “cooked”?

“Cooked” is pronounced kuukt (/kʊkt/ in IPA).

How do you use “cooked” in a sentence?

Here is “cooked” used in a sentence: “She served a perfectly cooked steak with roasted vegetables.”

What part of speech is “cooked”?

“Cooked” is an adjective.

Is “cooked” a common word?

“Cooked” is a fairly common word in modern English.

How many meanings does “cooked” have?

“Cooked” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: prepared by the application of heat.

What is the difference between "cooked" and "baked"?

"Cooked" is the general term for food prepared by heat using any method, while "baked" specifically means cooked with dry heat in an oven. All baked food is cooked, but not all cooked food is baked.

What is the difference between "cooked" and "raw"?

"Cooked" describes food prepared by heat, while "raw" means uncooked and in its natural state. In the context of food they are direct opposites.

What is the difference between "cooked" and "overcooked"?

"Cooked" means simply prepared by heat and ready to eat, while "overcooked" means cooked too long, so the food turns dry, tough, or burnt. Food can be properly cooked without being overcooked.

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