What does parched mean?
Word: Parched
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Parched means very dry because of hot weather and no rain. When people say they are parched, they mean they are very thirsty.
Synonyms: dry, thirsty
Antonyms: wet, moist
Word origin: From the verb parch, used in English since the late Middle Ages; where parch itself came from is not known.
How do you spell parched?
Syllables: parched
Tricky part: The ending sounds like a t, but it is spelt ed, because parched is the verb parch with -ed added. Students who write by ear put parcht or parchd.
Watch out for: parcht, parchd
Memory tip: Ask what the sun did to the fields: it parched them. A word for something that was done takes ed, so the dry fields are parched.
Parched in a sentence
Example 1: After walking home in the May heat, Rohan was parched and drank two glasses of nimbu pani.
Example 2: The parched fields of the village turned green within a week of the first monsoon rain.
Example 3: Water the parched tulsi plant in the evening, when the sun is low.
Fun Fact
Parch can also mean to roast grain or pulses lightly, which is why roasted chana is sometimes called parched gram in Indian English.
Practise the CREST Way
Sound Check
Which word does not rhyme with parched?
a) matched
b) arched
c) marched
d) starched
Show answer
a) matched. Matched has the short a of cat; marched, starched and arched share the long 'ah' of parched.
Spellacadabra
Choose the misspelt word:
a) parshed
b) launched
c) clutched
d) stretched
Show answer
a) parshed. The sound in the middle comes from ch, the same letters that the verb parch ends with.
Spell Probe
Fill each blank with 'a'. Which option gives the meaning of that word?
1. qu__nched 2. sc__rched 3. dr__nched 4. p__rched
a) made completely wet
b) no longer thirsty after a drink
c) very dry, especially because of hot weather
d) burnt slightly on the surface
Show answer
c) very dry, especially because of hot weather. Only p-a-rched becomes a word with a, and parched land is land that has gone very dry.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with the correct options:
1. parched 2. drenched 3. famished a. starving b. soaked c. arid
a) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
b) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
c) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
d) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
Show answer
c) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a. These are same-meaning pairs: parched land is arid, a drenched shirt is soaked and a famished child is starving.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which sky would farmers with parched fields most like to see?
a) a hot sun high at noon
b) dark rain clouds rolling in
c) a bright and cloudless dawn
d) a clear blue sky all week
Show answer
b) dark rain clouds rolling in
2. If your throat feels parched, the best thing to ask for is ___.
a) a glass of water
b) a quiet room
c) a slice of toast
d) a warm blanket
Show answer
a) a glass of water
