What does melt mean?
Melt means primarily to turn from a solid into a liquid because of heat, as when ice melts in warm weather or cheese softens in a hot pan. The verb can also describe something dissolving or dispersing, as ink might in water. Figuratively, it applies to people, emotions, opposition, and institutions: a person's resolve may melt, a speaker may melt the audience with a moving story, or a protest may melt away as support declines. The word is especially associated with ice and snow thawing, but its broader figurative uses make it useful for describing the gradual loss of firmness, intensity, or resistance. It is also common in compounds and idioms such as melt down, melt into, and melting pot. In the last expression, the image of different ingredients combining into one mixture suggests the blending of distinct communities or cultures.
To change from a solid into a liquid through heat, or to become soft or liquid in this way.
"The chocolate melted beside the hot drink."
When used intransitively, the subject is the substance undergoing the change: "The ice melted." When used transitively, the subject causes the change: "She melted the chocolate."
To dissolve gradually, become less distinct or intense, or lose emotional composure.
"His determination melted under sustained questioning."
These figurative uses are common in both speech and formal writing.
The process or state of becoming liquid through heat, or a substance in the process of melting.
"The metal was left in the crucible as a glowing melt."
The noun is less common than the verb and is most often used in technical or figurative contexts.
The plural is used for separate instances of melting or quantities of a melting substance.
"Slow melts can keep the texture of the fruit intact."
From an Old English word shared with German schmelzen, melt has described everything from thawing snow to a crisis in which institutions lose their solid form.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does melt come from?
The English verb comes from Old English meltan, meaning to liquefy or dissolve through heat. It continues Proto-Germanic *meltainą and is cognate with forms such as Old Norse melta and German schmelzen. Over time, its literal meaning developed figurative uses for becoming emotionally overcome and for opposition or determination gradually weakening.
Related word forms
How melt is actually used
The verb is common in both formal and informal English. The figurative sense of becoming less intense or controlled is frequent in journalism and discussion, while the emotional sense is especially associated with expressions such as melt one's heart and make someone melt.
Easily confused with melt
To melt is to become liquid through heating, whereas to smelt is to extract metal from ore by heating it.