roast
roast — verb
1. to make food ready to eat through exposure to high, dry heat, such as inside a c
to make food ready to eat through exposure to high, dry heat, such as inside a cooking appliance or above burning wood
Ari roasted a whole chicken with garlic and herbs for Sunday dinner.
transitive: roast + specific food item
The vegetables were roasted in the oven until their edges turned golden brown.
passive: be roasted in [oven]
Beatriz learned to roast potatoes from her grandmother's recipe book.
roast + [food] as infinitive complement
We roasted chestnuts over the open fire at the winter festival.
roast + over [fire]
The lamb needs to roast for about two hours at a moderate temperature.
intransitive: needs to roast + duration
- roast chicken
- roast beef
- roast potatoes
- roast vegetables
- roast in the oven
- roast over a fire
- slow-roast
- roast until golden
- boil
cooks food in hot liquid rather than dry heat
Grammar Patterns
roast + object (meat, vegetables)
roast (no object)
Usage Note
Unlike 'bake', which is used for bread, cakes, and pastries, 'roast' is mainly used for meat and vegetables cooked in their own juices or with oil.
Common Mistakes
2. to heat nuts, coffee beans, or seeds until they become dry, brown, and develop a
to heat nuts, coffee beans, or seeds until they become dry, brown, and develop a stronger or richer flavour
The coffee beans are roasted at a high temperature for about twelve minutes.
passive: are roasted + temperature + duration
This small shop roasts its own coffee beans every Tuesday morning.
transitive: roasts its own [beans]
The almonds were lightly roasted and then sprinkled with sea salt.
passive: were lightly roasted
Roya prefers dark-roasted coffee because it has a much stronger flavour.
compound adjective: dark-roasted
Minh watched as the peanuts roasted inside the large metal drum.
intransitive: watched as [nuts] roasted
- roast coffee beans
- roast peanuts
- roast almonds
- light-roast
- dark-roast
- dry-roasted nuts
Grammar Patterns
roast + object (nuts, coffee beans)
roast (no object)
Usage Note
Frequently used in the compound forms 'light-roast', 'medium-roast', and 'dark-roast' to describe coffee beans. Also appears as 'dry-roasted' for nuts that are cooked without oil.
Common Mistakes
3. to tell someone in an angry way that they have done something wrong, or to criti
to tell someone in an angry way that they have done something wrong, or to criticize their behaviour very strongly
The manager roasted the team for missing the project deadline.
roast + person + for + reason
Greta's parents roasted her after she came home past midnight.
informal register in family context
The critics roasted the director for the film's confusing storyline.
roast + person + for + thing
Ilan was roasted by his colleagues for his careless mistakes on the report.
passive: was roasted by [someone]
- roast someone for
- get roasted
- be roasted by
- roast someone over
- praise
expresses approval rather than disapproval
Grammar Patterns
roast + person
be roasted + for + noun/gerund
Usage Note
Stronger and more informal than 'criticize'. Often appears in passive constructions ('got roasted', 'was roasted'). The tone is angry and direct, not playful.
Common Mistakes
4. to make friendly jokes and humorous criticisms about a well-known person during
to make friendly jokes and humorous criticisms about a well-known person during a public event that is meant to honour them
The comedy club roasted the retiring teacher with funny stories about her lessons.
roast + person + with + something
Anthony was roasted by his friends at his fortieth birthday party.
passive: was roasted + at + event
The TV network roasted the politician during the charity special for good causes.
roast + person + during + event
Nellie agreed to be roasted by her coworkers at the farewell dinner.
infinitive: agreed to be roasted
- roast someone at
- roast someone on TV
- get roasted
- celebrity roast
- tease
lighter and can be done one-on-one; 'roast' is a structured public event
- make fun of
can be unkind; 'roast' is understood as affectionate
- rib
similar informal tone but much less formal than an organized roast
Grammar Patterns
roast + person
be roasted + at + event
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 3 ('ANGRY CRITICISM'). This sense is affectionate and done in a spirit of fun, usually at planned events. The person being roasted is present and part of the celebration.
roast — adjective
1. used to describe meat or vegetables prepared by surrounding them with hot, dry a
used to describe meat or vegetables prepared by surrounding them with hot, dry air until they are brown and tender
The roast chicken was served with gravy and mashed potatoes.
roast + chicken (common food pairing)
Padma bought a roast beef sandwich from the corner shop for lunch.
roast + beef (common food pairing)
Roast vegetables are a healthy side dish for any main meal.
roast + vegetables (only before noun)
Roast beef with Yorkshire pudding is a classic British Sunday meal.
roast + beef (adjective before noun)
- roast chicken
- roast beef
- roast pork
- roast lamb
- roast potatoes
- roast vegetables
- Sunday roast
Grammar Patterns
roast + noun (meat, vegetables)
Usage Note
This form is used ONLY before a noun (attributive position). You cannot say 'The chicken is roast' — use 'roasted' for predicate position: 'The chicken is roasted.'
Common Mistakes
roast — noun
1. a substantial portion of meat that has been prepared through dry heating, or the
a substantial portion of meat that has been prepared through dry heating, or the main meal centred around this meat
Padma cooked a large roast for the family gathering last Sunday.
a + roast (countable)
The butcher recommended the beef roast for slow cooking in the oven.
beef roast (meat type + roast)
Leftover roast can be sliced thin and used in sandwiches the next day.
roast as uncountable mass noun
A traditional Sunday lunch includes a roast with potatoes and gravy.
set phrase: Sunday roast / a roast
- beef roast
- pork roast
- Sunday roast
- pot roast
- carve a roast
- roast dinner
- joint
British English term for a large piece of meat for roasting
Grammar Patterns
a + roast
roast + of + meat type
Usage Note
When used as a countable noun ('a roast'), it refers to a specific piece of meat. As an uncountable noun ('some roast'), it refers to the meat as a food substance.
Common Mistakes
2. a public event, often televised, where people tell jokes and make humorous criti
a public event, often televised, where people tell jokes and make humorous criticisms about a famous person as a way of honouring them
The TV network aired a roast of the famous actor last Friday night.
a roast + of + person
Ilan attended a comedy roast where stand-up comedians joked about the guest of honour.
comedy roast (set phrase)
The charity roast raised money while gently making fun of the celebrity.
charity roast (purpose + roast)
A roast of the retiring senator was held in Washington last spring.
a roast + of + person + passive construction
- comedy roast
- celebrity roast
- roast event
- host a roast
- TV roast
- roast of
- tribute
serious and respectful; a 'roast' is humorous and playfully insulting
- roast dinner
a completely different meaning — a meal with roasted meat
Grammar Patterns
a + roast + of + person
Usage Note
This type of event is most common in American entertainment culture. The person being 'roasted' is the guest of honour and typically laughs along with the jokes.
3. a strong expression of disapproval or a series of angry critical comments aimed
a strong expression of disapproval or a series of angry critical comments aimed at someone
The film received a roasting from most newspaper critics.
receive + a roasting + from
Élise took the roasting from her teammates without arguing back.
take + a/the roasting (accept criticism)
The politician faced a public roasting after the scandal broke out.
face + a roasting
Felix's latest book got such a roasting that sales dropped sharply within weeks.
get + a roasting (informal passive)
- a roasting
- give someone a roasting
- get a roasting
- take a roasting
- receive a roasting
- face a roasting
- criticism
more general and less intense than 'roasting'
- dressing-down
similar register; often from an authority figure
- tongue-lashing
similar intensity; suggests a longer, angrier speech
- praise
expression of approval and admiration
Grammar Patterns
a + roasting
give + person + a roasting
Usage Note
In this sense the word is used almost exclusively in the form 'a roasting'. The verb 'roast' (sense 3, ANGRY CRITICISM) is the corresponding verb form. This noun sense is more common in British English than American English.
Word family
- roastedadjectiveA2
- roastingadjectiveB1
- roasternounB2
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
All four words describe cooking with heat, but they differ in method and typical food. 'Roast' uses dry heat in an oven or over a fire, mainly for meat and vegetables — the food cooks in its own juices. 'Bake' also uses an oven but is reserved for foods that need structure: bread, cakes, pastries, and casseroles. You bake a loaf of bread but roast a chicken. 'Grill' (US) or 'broil' (US)/'grill' (UK) means cooking food directly under or over a high heat source — like putting meat under the oven's top element or on a barbecue grate. Grilling is faster and gives char marks; roasting is slower and more even. For example: 'She roasted the vegetables with olive oil for 40 minutes,' but 'She grilled the burgers for 6 minutes on each side.'
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'roast' entered English in the 13th century from Old French 'rostir', meaning to cook by dry heat. The French word came from a Germanic source — the Proto-Germanic verb *raustijaną, which meant 'to roast'. This Germanic root is related to words in other Germanic languages, such as the German 'rösten' (to roast or toast). The figurative meanings — criticizing someone harshly or teasing them publicly — developed in English much later, in the 18th and 20th centuries respectively.