burn

¹

[ burn ]

verb (used without object)

, burned or burnt, burn·ing.

1. 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

2. (of a fireplace, furnace, etc.) to contain a fire.
3. to feel heat or a physiologically similar sensation; feel pain from or as if from a fire:

   The wound burned and throbbed.

   Synonyms: glow, tingle

4. to give off light or to glow brightly:

   The lights in the house burned all night.

5. to give off heat or be hot:

   The pavement burned in the noon sun.

6. to produce pain or a stinging sensation similar to that of fire; cause to smart:

   The whiskey burned in his throat.

7. to feel extreme anger:

   When she said I was rude, I really burned.

8. to feel strong emotion or passion:

   He burned with desire.

9. Chemistry.
   1. to undergo combustion, either fast or slow; oxidize.
   2. to undergo fission or fusion.
10. to become charred or overcooked by heat:

    The steak burned around the edges.

11. to receive a sunburn:

    She burns easily and has to stay in the shade.

12. to be punished or executed by fire:

    You'll burn in hell for that sin.

13. to be engraved by or as if by burning:

    His words burned into her heart.

14. Slang. to die in an electric chair:

    The murderer was sentenced to burn.

15. Games. to be extremely close to finding a concealed object or guessing an answer.

verb (used with object)

, burned or burnt, burn·ing.

1. to cause to undergo combustion or be consumed partly or wholly by fire.

   Synonyms: tan, brown, toast, char

2. to use as fuel or as a source of light:

   He burned coal to heat the house.

3. to cause to feel the sensation of heat.
4. to overcook or char:

   I almost burned the roast.

5. to sunburn.
6. to injure, endanger, or damage with or as if with fire:

   Look out, you'll burn yourself!

7. to execute by burning:

   The heretic was burned at the stake.

8. to subject to fire or treat with heat as a process of manufacturing.
9. to produce with or as if with fire:

   She burned a hole in her dress.

10. to cause sharp pain or a stinging sensation:

    The iodine burned his cut.

11. to consume rapidly, especially to squander:

    He burned energy as if he never heard of resting.

12. Slang. to suffer losses or be disillusioned in business or social relationships:

    She was burned by that phony stock deal.

13. Slang. to cheat or rob.
14. 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!

15. Digital Technology. to copy or write data to (an optical disk): Compare rip ¹( def 4 ).

    She burned a CD of their favorite songs.

16. Chemistry. to cause to undergo combustion; oxidize.
17. Machinery. to damage through excessive friction, as in grinding or machining; scorch.
18. Metallurgy. to oxidize (a steel ingot), as with a flame.
19. British. to scald (a wine, especially sherry) in an iron container over a fire.
20. Cards. to put (a played or rejected card) face up at the bottom of the pack.
21. Slang. to disclose the identity of (an undercover agent, law officer, etc.):

    to burn a narcotics officer.

noun

1. a burned place or area:

   a burn where fire had ripped through the forest.

2. 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.
3. slow burn.
4. the process or an instance of burning or baking, as in brickmaking.
5. a forest or brush fire.
6. the firing of a rocket engine.
7. 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.

8. Slang. a swindle.
9. 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

1. 1. to burn completely or utterly:

      The papers burned up in a minute.

   2. Informal. to become angry:

      He burns up at the mention of her name.

2. (of morning mist) to be dissipated by the warmth of the rising sun.
3. to weld lead with lead.
4. to burn to the ground:

   That barn was struck by lightning and burned down.

5. Informal. to incite to anger:

   That attitude burns me up.

6. Photography. (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. Compare dodge ( def 2 ).
7. 1. to cease functioning because something has been exhausted or burned up, as fuel or a filament:

      Our light bulbs burned out.

   2. to deprive of a place to live, work, etc., by reason of fire:

      They were burned out and had to live with relatives.

   3. to wear out; exhaust; be worn out; become exhausted.

burn

²

[ burn ]

noun

, Scot. and North England.

1. a brook or rivulet.

burn

¹

/ bɜːn /

verb

1. to undergo or cause to undergo combustion
2. to destroy or be destroyed by fire
3. tr to damage, injure, or mark by heat

   she was burnt by the sun

   he burnt his hand

4. to die or put to death by fire

   to burn at the stake

5. intr to be or feel hot

   my forehead burns

6. to smart or cause to smart

   brandy burns one's throat

7. intr to feel strong emotion, esp anger or passion
8. tr to use for the purposes of light, heat, or power

   to burn coal

9. tr to form by or as if by fire

   to burn a hole

10. to char or become charred

    the potatoes are burning in the saucepan

11. tr to brand or cauterize
12. tr to cut (metal) with an oxygen-rich flame
13. to produce by or subject to heat as part of a process

    to burn charcoal

14. tr to copy information onto (a CD-ROM)
15. astronomy to convert (a lighter element) to a heavier one by nuclear fusion in a star

    to burn hydrogen

16. cards to discard or exchange (one or more useless cards)
17. informal.
    tr; usually passive to cheat, esp financially
18. slang.
    to electrocute or be electrocuted
19. slang.
    tr to drive fast (esp in the phrase go for a burn )
20. burn one's bridges or burn one's boats
    to commit oneself to a particular course of action with no possibility of turning back
21. burn the candle at both ends
    See candle
22. burn one's fingers
    to suffer from having meddled or been rash

noun

1. 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
2. a mark, e.g. on wood, caused by burning
3. a controlled use of rocket propellant, esp for a course correction
4. a hot painful sensation in a muscle, experienced during vigorous exercise

   go for the burn!

5. a controlled fire to clear an area of scrub
6. slang.
   tobacco or a cigarette

burn

²

/ bʌrn; bɜːn /

noun

1. a small stream; brook

burn

/ bûrn /

Verb

1. To be on fire; undergo combustion. A substance burns if it is heated up enough to react chemically with oxygen.
2. To cause a burn to a bodily tissue.

Noun

1. 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 Words From

• burn·a·ble adjective
• half-burned adjective
• non·burn·a·ble adjective
• un·burn·a·ble adjective
• un·burned adjective
• well-burned adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of burn¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English bernen, brennen, Old English beornan (intransitive), (cognate with Gothic, Old High German brinnan ), and Old English bærnan (transitive), (cognate with Gothic brannjan, Old High German brennen )

Origin of burn²

First recorded before 900; Middle English burn(e), bourn(e), Old English burna, burne “stream, brook”; cognate with Gothic brunna, Dutch born, bron, German Brunnen, Old Norse brunnr “spring, well”

Word History and Origins

Origin of burn¹

Old English beornan (intr), bærnan (tr); related to Old Norse brenna (tr or intr), Gothic brinnan (intr), Latin fervēre to boil, seethe

Origin of burn²

Old English burna ; related to Old Norse brunnr spring, Old High German brunno , Lithuanian briáutis to burst forth

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. 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.

2. burn the midnight oil, to work, study, etc., until late at night:

   to burn the midnight oil before final exams.

3. 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.

4. burn one's bridges (behind one). bridge ¹( def 27 ).

More idioms and phrases containing burn

• crash and burn
• ears are burning
• fiddle while Rome burns
• (burn) in effigy
• money burns a hole in one's pocket
• money to burn
• slow burn

Synonym Study

Burn, scorch, sear, singe refer to the effect of fire or heat. To burn is to consume, wholly or in part, by contact with fire or excessive heat: to burn leaves. Scorch implies superficial or slight burning, resulting in a change of color or in injury to the texture because of shriveling or curling: to scorch a dress while ironing. Sear refers especially to the drying or hardening caused by heat: to sear a roast of meat. Singe applies especially to a superficial burning that takes off ends or projections: to singe hair; singe the pinfeathers from a chicken.

Example Sentences

The court previously heard that Sara's body was found with dozens of injuries, and that she had been hooded, burned and beaten during more than two years of abuse.

From BBC

Poisoning Delhi’s Air: India promised to safely burn the capital’s trash and turn it into electricity.

From New York Times

About 30% of the area burned by the Mountain fire was grassland, according to a Times analysis of land cover data.

From Los Angeles Times

When she woke up, she was surrounded by rubble and burning fragments of phosphorus.

From BBC

The Mountain Fire burned about a quarter of Ventura county’s avocado harvest.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• blaze
• char
• heat
• ignite
• incinerate
• light
• melt
• scorch
• smolder
• torch

More About Burn

What does burn mean?

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.

Where does burn come from?

The first records of the term burn come from before the year 900. It ultimately comes from the Old English beornan and bærnan.

Burn is also used in many phrases and contexts that really have nothing to do with burning. One meaning is “to be taken advantage of” or “to be beaten,” as in You got burned on that deal.

Burn has two past tenses. Both burned and burnt are acceptable spellings, but especially in North America, burnt is preferred for description, as in burnt toast.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to burn?

• burnable (adjective)
• half-burned (adjective)
• nonburnable (adjective)
• unburnable (adjective)
• well-burned (adjective)

What are some synonyms for burn?

• blaze
• char
• ignite
• rage
• hurt

What are some words that share a root or word element with burn? 

• burn at the stake
• burn down
• burn bag
• burn center

What are some words that often get used in discussing burn?

• cook
• degree
• fire
• fuel
• roast

How is burn used in real life?

Burn is a very common word used in relation to a physical fire as well as figurative senses.

The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn. ~ David Russell

— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) July 13, 2020

our sweet memories over the smell of burning wood pic.twitter.com/k6OwVX013V

— 𝒇. (@momentsofence) October 31, 2021

All the stars in the universe will eventually burn out and the universe will be dark for the rest of time.

— UberFacts (@UberFacts) March 13, 2015

Try using burn!

Is burn used correctly in the following sentence?

At the end of the school year, Sean likes to burn all his school papers in a fire pit.