burn
burn [burn burns burned burnt burning] verb, noun [bɜːn] [bɜːrn]
verb (burnt, burnt [bɜːnt] ; [bɜːrnt] ) or (burned, burned [bɜːnd] ; [bɜːrnd] )
FIRE
1. intransitive to produce flames and heat
• A welcoming fire was burning in the fireplace.
• Fires were burning all over the city.
2. intransitive (used especially in the progressive tenses) to be on fire
• By nightfall the whole city was burning.
• Two children were rescued from the burning car.
• The smell of burning rubber filled the air.
3. transitive, intransitive to destroy, damage, injure or kill sb/sth by fire; to be destroyed, etc. by fire
• ~ (sb/sth) to burn waste paper/dead leaves
• All his belongings were burnt in the fire.
• The cigarette burned a hole in the carpet.
• The house was burnt to the ground (= completely destroyed).
• The house burned to the ground.
• Ten people burned to death in the hotel fire.
• ~ sb/sth + adj. His greatest fear is of being burnt alive.
FUEL
4. transitive, intransitive ~ (sth) if you burn a fuel, or a fuel burns, it produces heat, light or energy
• a furnace that burns gas/oil/coke
• (figurative) Some people burn calories (= use food to produce energy) faster than others.
• Which fuel burns most efficiently?
FOOD
5. intransitive, transitive if food burns, or if you burn it, it is spoiled because it gets too hot
• I can smell something burning in the kitchen.
• ~ sth Sorry— I burnt the toast.
SUN/HEAT/ACID
6. intransitive, transitive to be damaged or injured by the sun, heat, acid, etc; to damage or injure sb/sth in this way
• My skin burns easily (= in the sun).
• ~ sb I got badly burned by the sun yesterday.
• ~ sth The soup's hot. Don't burn your mouth.
• ~ yourself I burned myself on the stove.
OF PART OF BODY
7. intransitive if part of your body burns or is burning, it feels very hot and painful
• Your forehead's burning. Have you got a fever?
• Her cheeks burned with embarrassment.
OF A LIGHT
8. intransitive to produce light
• Lights were burning upstairs, but no one answered the door.
FEEL EMOTION/DESIRE
9. intransitive, transitive (literary) to feel a very strong emotion or desire
• ~ with sth to be burning with rage/ambition/love
• ~ to do sth He was burning to go climbing again.
GO FAST
10. intransitive + adv./prep. (informal) to move very fast in a particular direction
• The car was burning down the road.
MAKE ANGRY
11. transitive ~ sb (NAmE, informal) to make sb very angry
• So you did it just to burn me?
CD, ETC.
12. transitive, intransitive ~ (sth) (to sth) to put information onto a CD, etc.
more at sb's ears are burning at ear, feel your ears burning at feel v., have money to burn at money
Word Origin:
v. and n. senses 1 to 2 Old English birnan ‘be on fire’ bærnan ‘consume by fire’ Germanic German brennen
n. sense 3 Old English burna burn(e) Germanic Dutch bron German Brunnen ‘well’
Thesaurus:
burn verb
1. I
• The whole city was burning.
be on fire • • go up • • blaze • |BrE smoulder • |AmE smolder •
a fire/bonfire/log burns/blazes/smoulders
a building/house burns/is on fire/goes up
burn/blaze fiercely
2. T, I
• He burned all her letters.
set fire to sth • • set sth on fire • • torch • • scorch • • singe • • char • • sear • • scald • • cremate • |formal incinerate •
burn/set fire to/torch/scald yourself
burn/set fire to/scorch/singe your hair/your clothes
burn/set fire to/torch a car/building
Synonyms:
burn
char • scald • scorch • singe
These words all mean to damage, injure, destroy or kill sb/sth with heat or fire.
burn • to damage, injure, destroy or kill sb/sth with fire, heat or acid; to be damaged, etc. by fire, heat or acid: ▪ She burned all his letters. ◊ ▪ The house ▪ burned down ▪ in 1995.
char • [usually passive] to make sth black by burning it; to become black by burning: ▪ The bodies had been charred beyond recognition.
scald • to burn part of your body with very hot liquid or steam.
scorch • to burn and slightly damage a surface by making it too hot: ▪ I scorched my dress when I was ironing it.
singe • to burn the surface of sth slightly, usually by mistake; to be burnt in this way: ▪ He singed his hair as he tried to light his cigarette.
scorch or singe?
Things are scorched by heat or fire. Things can only be singed by fire or a flame.
to burn/scald yourself/your hand
to burn/scorch/singe your hair/clothes
burned out/charred/scorched remains/ruins/buildings
Synonyms:
hurt
ache • burn • sting • tingle • itch • throb
These are all words that can be used when part of your body feels painful.
hurt • (of part of your body) to feel painful; (of an action) to cause pain: ▪ My feet hurt. ◊ ▪ Ouch! That hurt!
ache • to feel a continuous dull pain: ▪ I'm aching all over.
burn • (of part of your body) to feel very hot and painful: ▪ Our eyes were burning from the chemicals in the air.
sting • to make sb feel a sharp burning pain or uncomfortable feeling in part of their body; (of part of your body) to feel this pain: ▪ My eyes were stinging from the smoke.
tingle • (of part of your body) to feel as if a lot of small sharp points are pushing into the skin there: ▪ The cold air made her face tingle.
itch • to have an uncomfortable feeling on your skin that makes you want to scratch; to make your skin feel like this: ▪ I itch all over. ◊ ▪ Does the rash itch?
throb • (of part of your body) to feel pain as a series of regular beats: ▪ His head throbbed painfully.
your eyes hurt/ache/burn/sting/itch
your skin hurts/burns/stings/tingles/itches
your flesh hurts/burns/stings/tingles
your head hurts/aches/throbs
your stomach hurts/aches
to really hurt/ache/burn/sting/tingle/itch/throb
to hurt/ache/sting/itch badly/a lot
It hurts/stings/tingles/itches.
Example Bank:
• Bishop Tunstall preached a sermon against the book, after which copies were ceremonially burnt.
• Fresh leaves will burn slowly with billows of smoke.
• He was burning with indignation.
• Her eyes burned fiercely.
• Her skin seemed to burn at his touch.
• His cheeks burned with embarrassment.
• I like my steak burnt to a cinder on the outside and blood red and juicy inside.
• Joan of Arc was burned at the stake.
• Several people were burned to death.
• She could sense the anger burning slowly inside him.
• The building was burned to the ground.
• The car was found abandoned in a wood, completely burnt out.
• The factory burned down last year.
• The fire was still burning fiercely.
• The tower was struck by lightning and was burned to a cinder.
• Their torches burned brightly in the dark.
• fair skin that burns easily
• hot sunshine burning through the windows
• By night the whole city was burning.
• His greatest fear is of being burnt alive.
• Our eyes were burning from the chemicals in the air.
• Protesters threatened to burn down the house.
• She burned all his letters.
• Sorry— I burned the toast.
• The flame in the oil lamp burned steadily.
• The house burned down in 1995.
• The house was burnt to the ground by protesters.
• The soup's hot. Don't burn your mouth.
• The spacecraft burned up as it entered the earth's atmosphere.
• Your forehead's burning. Have you got a fever?
Idioms: burn a hole in your pocket ▪ burn rubber ▪ burn something to a crisp ▪ burn the candle at both ends ▪ burn the midnight oil ▪ burn your bridges ▪ burn your fingers ▪ get your fingers burnt
Derived: burn away ▪ burn down ▪ burn itself out ▪ burn out ▪ burn somebody up ▪ burn something away ▪ burn something down ▪ burn something off ▪ burn something out ▪ burn something up ▪ burn up ▪ burn yourself out