# boiled

/ˈbɔɪɫd/ (US) · /bˈɔɪld/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/boiled
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. cooked in water

adjective · CEFR A2

cooked in water that is very hot and bubbling.

For teachers: denoting food that has been prepared by immersion in water at its boiling point.

- She had a boiled egg and some toast for breakfast.
- The traditional recipe calls for boiled potatoes mashed with a generous amount of butter and a pinch of sea salt.

### 3. very hot

adjective · CEFR B2 · Informal

feeling uncomfortably hot, often because of the weather or hard work.

For teachers: used predicatively to describe a person experiencing extreme heat or perspiration.

- I am absolutely boiled after that long walk in the sun.
- The commuters looked positively boiled as they stepped off the train, which had been sitting on the tracks without air conditioning for nearly an hour.

### 4. angry

adjective · CEFR C1 · Informal

feeling very angry or annoyed about something.

For teachers: experiencing intense anger or indignation; often used in the phrase 'boiled over' to describe a loss of temper.

- He was boiled when he found out they had lied to him.
- The manager was clearly boiled by the team's lack of preparation, though he attempted to maintain a professional exterior during the briefing.

## Examples

- I usually have a boiled egg for breakfast.
- The recipe calls for two cups of boiled water to be added slowly to the flour mixture.
- While some prefer their vegetables steamed to preserve nutrients, many traditional recipes still rely on boiled potatoes as a hearty base for the main course.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.