This is the 13420th most frequent Polish word.
palący
"Palący" means "burning" or "smoking" depending on context.
Here, 'palące' is used as an adjective to describe the sun's intense heat.
Słońce było palące w południe.
The sun was scorching at noon.
In this example, 'palący' metaphorically denotes urgency or importance of the problem.
To jest palący problem, który musimy rozwiązać.
This is a pressing issue that we must resolve.
In this context, 'palący' is literally describing something that burns, referring to the fire.