roast

/roʊst/
verbnounIntermediate
formalinformal

to cook food by exposing it to dry heat, such as in an oven or over a fire

He roasted the chicken until the skin was crispy.

He cooked the chicken in the oven until the skin became crispy.

💡

Can also refer to cooking meat or vegetables over an open flame or grill.

informalslang

to criticize someone or something harshly and publicly

The comedian roasted the politician during his stand-up routine.

The comedian harshly criticized the politician in a humorous way during his performance.

💡

Often used in a humorous or lighthearted context.

informal

a meal or gathering where food is cooked and served outdoors, often over a fire

We had a roast by the lake last weekend.

We had an outdoor meal where we cooked food over a fire by the lake last weekend.

💡

Commonly associated with barbecues or campfire cooking.

Collocations

roast coffeecoffee beans that have been roastedroast dinnera traditional meal featuring roasted meat and vegetablesroast someoneto humorously criticize someone

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Phrases

roast beefphrase
beef that has been roasted
roast someone aliveidiom
to criticize someone very harshly

💡Pro Tip

Cooking Context

When referring to cooking, 'roast' typically involves dry heat, such as in an oven or over a fire.

Humorous Context

In a humorous context, 'roast' means to tease or criticize someone in a lighthearted way.

Gold Rule

Context Matters

Always consider the context when using 'roast' to ensure the correct meaning is conveyed.

📖Word Origin

From Middle English 'rosten', from Old English 'rāstan', meaning to roast or toast.

📝Usage Notes

The word 'roast' can have different meanings depending on the context. It can refer to cooking food with dry heat or to humorously criticizing someone.

Word Breakdown

roast
to cook with dry heat or to criticize humorously
root
English Dictionary