verb

melt

mehlt

verb

To turn from a solid into a liquid through heat.

"The ice cream melted quickly in the summer heat."

"Melt the butter in a pan before adding the onions."

To soften emotionally, or to make someone feel tender or moved.

"Her heart melted when she saw the puppy."

"His stern expression melted into a smile."

noun

A sandwich or dish topped with melted cheese.

"I ordered a tuna melt for lunch."

How to Use Melt

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo change from solid to liquid with heat, or — figuratively — to soften emotionally.

Common pairings

melt in your mouth melt away melt butter a tuna melt

Word Forms

melted past tense, molt past tense, molten past tense, melt plural, melted plural, molt plural, melts plural, melts singular, melted singular, melt singular, molt singular, meltest singular, meltedst singular, melteth singular

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The ice cream _____ quickly in the summer heat.

Etymology

From Old English meltan and mieltan, both meaning "to melt," going back to a Proto-Germanic root shared with words for digesting — melting and digesting were once seen as the same kind of "breaking down."

Rhymes for melt

felt belt Welt pelt spelt smelt heartfelt Roosevelt

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