molten

[ˈmɒltən]

[ˈmoʊltən]

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An object becomes molten when it's heated up and turns into liquid. Imagine melted chocolate that's too runny to hold its shape.

When we say something is molten, we usually mean it's hot and gooey like lava from a volcano or the metal that's being poured out of a furnace at a factory. But it can also refer to things that are liquid but not necessarily scorching hot, like honey when it's been left in the sun for too long. In both cases, molten describes something that's lost its solid shape and become fluid.

How common is "molten"?

Word molten is considered rare in modern English.
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.

Definitions

verb

To change (or to be changed) from a solid state to a liquid state, usually by a gradual heat.
Example: I melted butter to make a cake.
To dissolve, disperse, vanish.
Example: His troubles melted away.
To soften, as by a warming or kindly influence; to relax; to render gentle or susceptible to mild influences; sometimes, in a bad sense, to take away the firmness of; to weaken.
To be discouraged.
To be emotionally softened or touched.
Example: She melted when she saw the romantic message in the Valentine's Day card.
To be very hot and sweat profusely.
Example: I need shade! I'm melting!

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foundthaw

adjective

Melted.
Example: molten metal
Made from a melted substance.
Glowing red-hot.

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Real examples of "molten" in context

What If We Dumped TRASH Into VOLCANOES?

Entertainment

Pressurized steam builds up, and suddenly, you've got an eruption of acidic gases and molten rock.

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