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burn
1[burn]
verb (used without object)
to undergo rapid combustion or consume fuel in such a way as to give off heat, gases, and, usually, light; be on fire.
The fire burned in the grate.
Synonyms: flame(of a fireplace, furnace, etc.) to contain a fire.
to feel heat or a physiologically similar sensation; feel pain from or as if from a fire.
The wound burned and throbbed.
to give off light or to glow brightly.
The lights in the house burned all night.
to give off heat or be hot.
The pavement burned in the noon sun.
to produce pain or a stinging sensation similar to that of fire; cause to smart.
The whiskey burned in his throat.
to feel extreme anger.
When she said I was rude, I really burned.
to feel strong emotion or passion.
He burned with desire.
Chemistry.
to undergo combustion, either fast or slow; oxidize.
to undergo fission or fusion.
to become charred or overcooked by heat.
The steak burned around the edges.
to receive a sunburn.
She burns easily and has to stay in the shade.
to be punished or executed by fire.
You'll burn in hell for that sin.
to be engraved by or as if by burning.
His words burned into her heart.
Slang., to die in an electric chair.
The murderer was sentenced to burn.
Games., to be extremely close to finding a concealed object or guessing an answer.
verb (used with object)
to cause to undergo combustion or be consumed partly or wholly by fire.
to use as fuel or as a source of light.
He burned coal to heat the house.
to cause to feel the sensation of heat.
to overcook or char.
I almost burned the roast.
to sunburn.
to injure, endanger, or damage with or as if with fire.
Look out, you'll burn yourself!
to execute by burning.
The heretic was burned at the stake.
to subject to fire or treat with heat as a process of manufacturing.
to produce with or as if with fire.
She burned a hole in her dress.
to cause sharp pain or a stinging sensation.
The iodine burned his cut.
to consume rapidly, especially to squander.
He burned energy as if he never heard of resting.
Slang., to suffer losses or be disillusioned in business or social relationships.
She was burned by that phony stock deal.
Slang., to cheat or rob.
Slang., to insult in a way that is especially perceptive and therefore especially harsh and humiliating.
You just got burned by a seven year old—the kid calls it as she sees it!
Digital Technology., to copy or write data to (an optical disk).
She burned a CD of their favorite songs.
Chemistry., to cause to undergo combustion; oxidize.
Machinery., to damage through excessive friction, as in grinding or machining; scorch.
Metallurgy., to oxidize (a steel ingot), as with a flame.
British., to scald (a wine, especially sherry) in an iron container over a fire.
Cards., to put (a played or rejected card) face up at the bottom of the pack.
Slang., to disclose the identity of (an undercover agent, law officer, etc.).
to burn a narcotics officer.
noun
a burned place or area.
a burn where fire had ripped through the forest.
Pathology., an injury usually caused by heat but also by abnormal cold, chemicals, poison gas, electricity, or lightning, and characterized by a painful reddening and swelling of the epidermis first-degree burn, damage extending into the dermis, usually with blistering second-degree burn, or destruction of the epidermis and dermis extending into the deeper tissue with loss of pain receptors third-degree burn.
the process or an instance of burning or baking, as in brickmaking.
a forest or brush fire.
the firing of a rocket engine.
Usually the burn a burning sensation felt in the muscles during intense exercise.
Repeat the sit-ups till you feel the burn in your lower abs.
Slang., a swindle.
Slang., an especially harsh and humiliating insult or put-down, often delivered in the presence of others: His ego must need first aid after that burn.
Ooh, sick burn, bruh!
His ego must need first aid after that burn.
verb phrase
burn up
to burn completely or utterly.
The papers burned up in a minute.
Informal., to become angry.
He burns up at the mention of her name.
burn off, (of morning mist) to be dissipated by the warmth of the rising sun.
burn on, to weld lead with lead.
burn down, to burn to the ground.
That barn was struck by lightning and burned down.
burn one up, to incite to anger.
That attitude burns me up.
burn in, (in printing) to expose (one part of an image) to more light by masking the other parts in order to darken and give greater detail to the unmasked area. Also print in.
burn out
to cease functioning because something has been exhausted or burned up, as fuel or a filament.
Our light bulbs burned out.
to deprive of a place to live, work, etc., by reason of fire.
They were burned out and had to live with relatives.
to wear out; exhaust; be worn out; become exhausted.
burn
2[burn]
noun
a brook or rivulet.
burn
1/ bɜːn /
verb
to undergo or cause to undergo combustion
to destroy or be destroyed by fire
(tr) to damage, injure, or mark by heat
he burnt his hand
she was burnt by the sun
to die or put to death by fire
to burn at the stake
(intr) to be or feel hot
my forehead burns
to smart or cause to smart
brandy burns one's throat
(intr) to feel strong emotion, esp anger or passion
(tr) to use for the purposes of light, heat, or power
to burn coal
(tr) to form by or as if by fire
to burn a hole
to char or become charred
the potatoes are burning in the saucepan
(tr) to brand or cauterize
(tr) to cut (metal) with an oxygen-rich flame
to produce by or subject to heat as part of a process
to burn charcoal
(tr) to copy information onto (a CD-ROM)
astronomy to convert (a lighter element) to a heavier one by nuclear fusion in a star
to burn hydrogen
cards to discard or exchange (one or more useless cards)
informal, (tr; usually passive) to cheat, esp financially
slang, to electrocute or be electrocuted
slang, (tr) to drive fast (esp in the phrase go for a burn )
to commit oneself to a particular course of action with no possibility of turning back
See candle
to suffer from having meddled or been rash
noun
an injury caused by exposure to heat, electrical, chemical, or radioactive agents. Burns are classified according to the depth of tissue affected: first-degree burn : skin surface painful and red; second-degree burn : blisters appear on the skin; third-degree burn : destruction of both epidermis and dermis
a mark, e.g. on wood, caused by burning
a controlled use of rocket propellant, esp for a course correction
a hot painful sensation in a muscle, experienced during vigorous exercise
go for the burn!
a controlled fire to clear an area of scrub
slang, tobacco or a cigarette
burn
2/ bʌrn, bɜːn /
noun
a small stream; brook
burn
To be on fire; undergo combustion. A substance burns if it is heated up enough to react chemically with oxygen.
To cause a burn to a bodily tissue.
Tissue injury caused by fire, heat, radiation (such as sun exposure), electricity, or a caustic chemical agent. Burns are classified according to the degree of tissue damage, which can include redness, blisters, skin edema and loss of sensation. Bacterial infection is a serious and sometimes fatal complication of severe burns.
Other Word Forms
- burnable adjective
- half-burned adjective
- nonburnable adjective
- unburnable adjective
- unburned adjective
- well-burned adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of burn1
Origin of burn2
Word History and Origins
Origin of burn1
Origin of burn2
Idioms and Phrases
burn one's bridges (behind one). bridge.
burn oneself out, to exhaust one's energy, ideas, etc., through overwork or intemperance.
They feared that he would burn himself out or break down.
burn the / one's candle at both ends, to be excessively active or immoderate, as by leading an active social life by night and a busy work life by day.
You can't burn the candle at both ends and hold onto a job.
burn the midnight oil, to work, study, etc., until late at night.
to burn the midnight oil before final exams.
More idioms and phrases containing burn
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
Meanwhile, prescribed burns can cover a lot of ground and, if they burn hot enough, can destroy invasive seeds.
The courts ruled that emissions from burning the oil and gas must be considered by ministers when deciding whether to give projects the go-ahead.
These furnaces use electricity, not heat from burning fossil fuels, to melt scrap steel – for example – and recycle it.
Is there a specific challenge with crafting a slow burn in the streaming era?
Together, the fires burned tens of thousands of acres of National Forest System lands, killed 21 people and destroyed thousands of buildings, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles.
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When To Use
To burn means to be on fire, as in Nomar burned all the wood in the campfire.To burn literally means to consume fuel in a way that gives off heat, gases, and light, as with a fire, or to contain a fire, as a fireplace does.Burn also has many figurative senses related to its literal sense. For example, if you feel pain from a wound, you might say it burns. Something that stings can also be said to burn. And something that gives off a glow, such as a lamp, also burns.As well, if you’re very angry, you might say you’re burning. And if you have very strong feelings, either positive or negative, you might say you’re burning with those feelings.Finally a burn is a burned place, such as where there was a fire, or an injury to your skin. A first-degree burn usually turns the skin red and causes swelling. A second-degree burn could include blisters, while a third-degree burn causes damage to the tissue beneath the skin.Example: He cleaned up so many sticks from his backyard that he decided to burn them instead of taking them to the dumpster.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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