crème brûlée

noun

crème brû·​lée -brᵫ-ˈlā How to pronounce crème brûlée (audio) -brü- How to pronounce crème brûlée (audio)
: a rich custard topped with caramelized sugar

Examples of crème brûlée in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Might make for a thicker creme brulee. — Justin Wingerter, Denver Post, 18 Feb. 2026 Dessert options include mounds of love or creme brulee cheesecake. — Kaila Yu, Forbes.com, 7 Feb. 2026 Finish your meal with a sweet treat, choosing from a chocolate bomb, carrot cake or creme brulee. — Pete Caster, Idaho Statesman, 3 Apr. 2026 The most popular drink is the Burnt Creme latte, which tastes like creme brulee. — Endia Fontanez, AZCentral.com, 24 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for crème brûlée

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, scorched cream

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of crème brûlée was in 1886

Browse Nearby Words

crème anglaise
crème brûlée
crème caramel
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Crème brûlée.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cr%C3%A8me%20br%C3%BBl%C3%A9e. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Definition revised
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All