melted
melted — adjective
1. Changed from a solid into a liquid form because of heat, so that the substance b
Changed from a solid into a liquid form because of heat, so that the substance becomes soft or runny.
Theo spread melted butter over the warm toast before adding jam.
collocation: melted butter / melted cheese / melted chocolate
Melted wax from the candle dripped onto the wooden table.
Priya followed the recipe, mixing two cups of melted chocolate with fresh cream for the birthday cake.
Anna poured the melted sugar carefully onto the baking tray to make candy.
用法筆記
Commonly placed before a noun to describe food ingredients (melted butter, melted cheese) or substances that have been heated (melted wax, melted metal). Cannot be used for things that dissolve without heat, like salt in water.
常見錯誤
melted — noun
1. Material such as steel, glass, or volcanic stone that has been turned into a liq
Material such as steel, glass, or volcanic stone that has been turned into a liquid state by intense heat.
A sensor inside the furnace read the temperature of the steel melt, which had reached fifteen hundred degrees Celsius.
Workers carefully poured the hot glass melt into a large metal mould.
countable noun referring to a specific batch of molten substance
Dr. Koh took a sample of the melt from the furnace for quality testing in the lab.
The lava melt from the volcano cooled into dark black rock on the slope.
- molten material
more descriptive; used especially for metals and rock
- lava
specific to molten rock from a volcano
用法筆記
Typically used in industrial or geological contexts. Not common in everyday conversation. For food, use 'melted cheese/butter' (adjective) instead.
常見錯誤
2. The condition of having been changed from a solid into a liquid.
The condition of having been changed from a solid into a liquid.
The Himalayan glacier reached a melt intensity that scientists had not recorded in fifty years.
referring to the condition of ice turning to water
These reusable containers handled three dishwasher cycles without showing any signs of melt.
The spring melt turned the dirt road into a muddy mess for the villagers.
- thawing
specifically for ice or snow warming above freezing point
- liquefaction
technical; used in scientific contexts for any solid-to-liquid change
- solidification
the process of becoming solid
- freezing
turning from liquid to solid due to cold
用法筆記
Often paired with seasonal or environmental contexts (spring melt, snow melt). Less common than the verb form; use 'melting' or 'the melting of' for more natural phrasing in most cases.
3. The amount of a substance that is melted at one time in a furnace or container.
The amount of a substance that is melted at one time in a furnace or container.
At the copper refinery, each melt produces roughly two hundred kilos of high-grade copper for wiring.
countable noun: a single batch or run
The factory logbook showed that the morning melt produced over four hundred kilos, the largest of the day.
"The quality of this melt is better than the one we ran last week," said the plant supervisor.
用法筆記
Technical term used in industrial manufacturing, especially metalworking and glassmaking. Refers to a specific production batch rather than the material in general.
4. The period or season during which a substance, especially ice or snow, changes f
The period or season during which a substance, especially ice or snow, changes from a solid to a liquid state — often used for the spring thaw or a cyclic melting event.
The melt of the polar ice caps is accelerating faster than scientists predicted.
referring to the process over time
During the spring melt, rivers swell with water from the mountain snow.
The melt of the aluminium takes about forty minutes in the factory's newest furnace.
- thaw
specifically for ice and snow; more common in everyday language
- liquefaction
formal scientific term for the change of state
- freeze
the process of turning from liquid to solid
用法筆記
The focus is on the seasonal or operational time window of melting, not on the resulting condition of the material. Common in environmental writing (spring melt, glacier melt) and industrial settings (furnace melt time).
5. A hot sandwich made with bread and melted cheese, often with other ingredients s
A hot sandwich made with bread and melted cheese, often with other ingredients such as meat or vegetables.
Elena ordered a tuna melt with extra cheese and a side of fries.
common compound: tuna melt
The diner serves the best patty melt in town with grilled onions.
Jack made himself a quick melt for lunch using two thick slices of sourdough and sharp cheddar.
This cafe offers three kinds of melts — ham and cheese, turkey, and veggie.
- toasted sandwich
more common in British English
- grilled cheese
a simpler melt with just cheese and bread
用法筆記
Standalone noun 'melt' for a sandwich is most common in American English. Types include 'tuna melt', 'patty melt', and 'grilled cheese melt'. In British English, 'toasted sandwich' or 'toastie' is more common.
常見錯誤
melted — verb
1. When a solid substance changes into a liquid because of heat.
When a solid substance changes into a liquid because of heat.
The chocolate began to melt in the hot car within just a few minutes.
melt + preposition: melt in [heat source]
The snow on the roof melted when the sun came out after lunch.
Rosa cut the butter into small cubes so it would melt quickly in the warm frying pan.
At the beach picnic, Keiko's ice cream cone started to melt within minutes of the hot afternoon sun.
The plastic handle of the pan melted when Grace left it on the burner too long.
文法句型
melt (no object)
用法筆記
This is the basic intransitive sense. The subject undergoes a physical change of state from solid to liquid. Do not confuse with 'dissolve' (mixing into a liquid rather than becoming one).
常見錯誤
2. To heat a solid substance until it becomes liquid.
To heat a solid substance until it becomes liquid.
Omar melted the butter in a small saucepan before adding the flour.
melt + object (food ingredient)
The factory melts scrap metal and turns it into new steel bars.
Layla melted some cheese on top of the burger using a kitchen torch.
You should melt the chocolate slowly over hot water, not directly on the fire.
The morning sun melted the thin layer of ice that had formed on the car window.
文法句型
melt + object
用法筆記
The transitive sense requires a direct object — the thing being heated. Subject can be a person (cook melts butter), a machine (furnace melts metal), or natural phenomena (sun melts ice).
3. To fade, vanish, or disperse slowly from sight until nothing is left — like fog
To fade, vanish, or disperse slowly from sight until nothing is left — like fog in the morning sun, a crowd after a show, or abstract feelings such as fear and anger.
The morning fog melted away as the sun rose over the hills.
melt + away: gradual disappearance
Kwame felt his anger melt when he heard his daughter's apology.
The crowd melted into the side streets after the concert ended.
The moment Lin stepped onto the warm sand, all her work-related worries simply melted away.
文法句型
melt (away/into) — no object
用法筆記
Often used with adverbs 'away' or 'into' to emphasise gradual disappearance. Common with abstract subjects: doubts melt, fears melt, tension melts. The melting is metaphorical, not literal.
4. To make something gradually disappear or go away, as if dissolving it.
To make something gradually disappear or go away, as if dissolving it.
A kind word from the manager melted all the tension in the meeting room.
abstract object: tension, doubts, fear
The warm smile from the old woman melted the boy's shyness in seconds.
Over the years, time had slowly melted the sharp edges of Chidi's most painful memories.
The afternoon rain slowly melted the chalk drawings that little Mila and her cousin had drawn on the pavement.
文法句型
melt + object + (away)
用法筆記
The object is usually an abstract quality (tension, shyness, suspicion, resistance) or something that dissolves in water (chalk, salt). The subject is often a person's action or a natural process.
5. To become gentle, kind, or full of sympathy and affection, especially after bein
To become gentle, kind, or full of sympathy and affection, especially after being angry, cold, or distant.
Amara melted when she saw the puppy shivering in the rain outside.
melt when/at: triggered by a pitiful scene
His stern expression melted as soon as his granddaughter ran into his arms.
The judge melted with sympathy after hearing the young mother's story.
Sophie's heart melted when she read the love letter her husband had written.
文法句型
melt (at/with) — no object
用法筆記
Often used with 'heart' as the subject: 'my heart melted'. Common triggers: seeing something cute, hearing a sad story, receiving an apology. Usually implies a sudden, involuntary change of feeling.
常見錯誤
6. To cause a person's attitude to become warm, gentle, or less resistant — as when
To cause a person's attitude to become warm, gentle, or less resistant — as when a sad sight or kind act softens someone's anger, coldness, or determination.
The little girl's sad eyes melted her father's resolve to say no.
melt + possessive abstract noun: melt someone's resolve/heart
Watching his daughter wave from the school stage melted Mr. Park's cold attitude toward parent events.
concrete scene: watching a specific action melts someone's attitude
Fatima's kind words melted the old man's loneliness bit by bit.
- harden
make someone tougher or less sympathetic
文法句型
melt + object
用法筆記
Transitive counterpart of sense 5. The subject (a person, action, or situation) causes someone else to become emotionally softened. Common objects: heart, resolve, coldness, anger.
7. To gradually lose clear shape, outline, or separation, so that things appear to
To gradually lose clear shape, outline, or separation, so that things appear to flow into one another.
The colours of the sunset melted into one another along the horizon.
melt into one another: gradual blending
In the dim light, the edges of the buildings melted into the night sky.
The sound of the violin melted into the noise of the busy street outside.
The boundaries between their two gardens melted over years of shared planting.
文法句型
melt into — no object
用法筆記
Typically followed by 'into'. Describes a visual or sensory effect where distinct elements become hard to tell apart. Common with art, nature scenes, and metaphorical descriptions of cultural or social blending.