burn
[verb]
Synonyms:
- be on fire, be ablaze, blaze, flame, flare, glow, go up in flames, smoke
- set on fire, char, ignite, incinerate, kindle, light, parch, scorch, sear, singe, toast
- be passionate, be angry, be aroused, be inflamed, fume, seethe, simmer, smoulder

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Contrasted words: chill, cool, freeze
Related Words: fire, flame, ignite, incinerate, kindle, light, consume, use, smolder, sputter, parch, toast, warm, char

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English Thesaurus: burn, set fire to something, scorch, singe, scald, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. burn¹ S2 W3 /bɜːn $ bɜːrn/ verb (past tense and past participle burnt /bɜːnt $ bɜːrnt/ or burned)
[Word Family: noun: burn, burner; adjective: burning, burnt; verb: burn; adverb: burning]
[Language: Old English; Origin: byrnan 'to burn' and bærnan 'to cause to burn']

1. PRODUCE FLAMES AND HEAT [intransitive]
a) if a fire burns, it produces heat and flames:
There was a fire burning in the fireplace.
An average household candle will burn for about six hours.
b) if something is burning, it is producing flames and being damaged or destroyed by fire:
Parts of the building are still burning.

2. DESTROY SOMETHING WITH FIRE [transitive] to destroy or damage something with fire:
I burnt all his old letters.
Cars were burned and shops were looted during the rioting.
The Grand Hotel had burnt to the ground.
Make sure the iron isn’t too hot or you’ll burn the cloth.
He dropped his cigarette and burnt a hole in the carpet.

3. INJURE/KILL SOMEBODY WITH FIRE [transitive] to hurt yourself or someone else with fire or something hot:
I burned my hand on the oven door.
She was badly burned in a road accident.
Sixteen passengers were burned to death (=died in a fire).
A family of five were burned alive in their home last night (=died in a fire).
Heretics were burnt at the stake (=burnt in a fire as a punishment).

4. SUN [intransitive and transitive] if the sun burns your skin, or if your skin burns, it becomes red and painful from the heat of the sun ⇒ sunburn:
I burn quite easily.
Don’t forget you can still get burnt when you’re swimming or when it’s cloudy.
Her face and neck were quite badly burned.

5. FOOD [intransitive and transitive] to spoil food by cooking it for too long, or to become spoiled in this way:
I’m afraid I’ve burnt the pizza.
burn something to a crisp/cinder
The meat was burned to a crisp.

6. CHEMICALS [transitive] to damage or destroy something by a chemical action:
Quite a lot of household chemicals can burn your skin.

7. FUEL [intransitive and transitive] if you burn a fuel, or if it burns, it is used to produce power, heat, light etc:
The boiler burns oil to produce heat.
greenhouse gases caused by the burning of fossil fuels

8. FAT/ENERGY [transitive] if you burn fat or CALORIES, you use up energy stored in your body by being physically active:
Taking a brisk walk every morning is a great way to burn calories.
a fat-burning exercise

9. LIGHT [intransitive] if a light or lamp burns, it shines or produces light:
A lamp was burning in the kitchen window.
The hall light was still burning.

10. FEEL HOT AND PAINFUL [intransitive and transitive] if a part of your body burns, or if something burns it, it feels unpleasantly hot:
The whisky burned my throat as it went down.
My eyes were burning from the smoke.

11. FACE/CHEEKS [intransitive] if your face or cheeks are burning, they feel hot because you are embarrassed or upset:
I could feel my cheeks burning as I spoke.

12. CD [transitive] if you burn a CD or DVD, you record music, images, or other information onto it using special computer equipment

13. be burning with rage/desire etc to feel a particular emotion very strongly:
She was burning with curiosity.

14. be burning to do something to want to do or find out something very much:
I was burning to know how he had got on in New York.

15. be/get burned informal
a) to be emotionally hurt by someone or something:
Take things slowly – don’t get burned again.
b) to lose a lot of money:
The company got badly burned in the dot.com collapse.

16. burn your fingers/get your fingers burned informal to suffer the unpleasant results of something that you have done:
I tried a dating agency once, but got my fingers badly burnt – I’ll never do it again.

17. burn a hole in your pocket if money burns a hole in your pocket, you want to spend it as soon as you can

18. burn your bridges/boats informal to do something with the result that you will not be able to return to a previous situation again, even if you want to:
I’m really tempted to take up that job offer in Washington, but I don’t want to burn my boats with this company.

19. burn the candle at both ends informal to get very tired by doing things until very late at night and getting up early in the mornings

20. burn the midnight oil informal to work or study until late at night

21. it burns somebody that/how etc American English used to say that something makes someone feel angry or jealous:
It really burns me the way they treat us.

22. GO FAST [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] informal to travel very fast
burn along/up etc
a sports car burning up the motorway

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. burn² S3 noun [countable]
[Word Family: noun: burn, burner; adjective: burning, burnt; verb: burn; adverb: burning]

1. an injury caused by fire, heat, the light of the sun, or acid:
His body was covered in cigarette burns.
severe/serious burns
She was taken to the hospital with serious burns.
Several of the survivors suffered severe burns.
She is being treated for minor burns.

2. a mark on something caused by fire or heat:
The desk was covered with graffiti and burn marks.

3. a painful mark on the skin caused by it rubbing hard against something rough

4. the burn informal a painful hot feeling in your muscles when you exercise a lot:
Go for the burn.

5. British English a small stream

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

burn
noun
ADJ. horrific, nasty, serious, severe, terrible | minor, slight | first-/second-/third-degree | cigarette
VERB + BURN suffer | die from/of | treat, treat sb for
BURN + NOUN mark
PHRASES 20, 50, etc. per cent burns He was treated in hospital for 60 per cent burns.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

burn
verb
I. damage/injure by fire/heat
ADV. badly, seriously, severely | completely The car was found abandoned in a wood, completely burnt out.
partially, partly | easily fair skin that burns easily
ceremonially Bishop Tunstall preached a sermon against the book, after which copies were ceremonially burnt.
down, out The factory burned down last year.
PHRASES be burnt alive, be burnt to ashes/a cinder/a crisp I like my steak burnt to a cinder on the outside and blood red and juicy inside.
burn/be burnt to death Several people were burnt to death.
be burnt to the ground The building was burnt to the ground.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

burn
II. be on fire
ADV. fiercely The fire was still burning fiercely.
steadily | slowly Fresh leaves will burn slowly with billows of smoke.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

burn
III. produce light
ADV. brightly Their torches burnt brightly in the dark.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

burn
IV. be filled with strong feeling
ADV. fiercely Her eyes burned fiercely.
slowly She could sense the anger burning slowly inside him.
PREP. with He was burning with indignation.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

burn

be badly/severely burned
His face had been badly burned in the fire.
be burned alive
The animals were burned alive when a farm building caught fire.
be burned to death
Anyone inside the truck would have been burned to death.
be burned at the stake (=burned in a fire as a punishment)
In those days witches were burned at the stake.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

burn to damage or destroy something with fire or heat:
She lit a fire and burned his letters one by one.
set fire to something (also set something on fire) to make something start burning so that it gets damaged:
Vandals set fire to an empty warehouse.
Teresa wondered if the burning log might set fire to the curtains.
The Vikings attacked villages along the coast and set them on fire.
Sparks from the fireplace could easily set the curtains on fire.
scorch to damage the surface of something by burning it so that a dark mark is left on it:
Having the iron on a very high heat can scorch the fabric.
The heater was left on all night and it scorched the wall.
singe /sɪndʒ/ to damage hair, wool, paper etc by burning it slightly so that the ends or edges are burnt:
The flames were hot enough to singe your eyebrows.
scald to burn your skin with very hot liquid or steam:
The coffee was so hot it nearly scalded his tongue.
It’s easy to knock a pan off the stove and scald yourself.
He was scalded by steam escaping from the broken pipe.
ignite technical to make something start to burn, especially something that burns easily such as a gas or chemical:
The gas is ignited by an electrical spark.
It appears he threw away a lit cigarette which ignited the petrol spilt on the ground.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

burn to produce heat and flames:
The fire was still burning.
A pile of branches was burning in the yard.
be on fire if a building, car, piece of clothing etc is on fire, it is burning and being damaged:
Before long, the neighbouring houses were on fire too.
be alight especially written if something is alight, it is burning:
By the time the fire engines got there, the whole building was already alight.
The candle was still alight.
be ablaze especially written if something is ablaze, it is burning with a lot of flames, so that it is seriously damaged:
Twelve hours after the bombing raid, many parts of the city were still ablaze.
The two hundred tonnes of straw were now ablaze and firefighters struggled to get the fire under control.
blaze to burn very brightly with a lot of flames and heat:
A big log fire was blazing in the fireplace.
smoulder British English, smolder American English /ˈsməʊldə $ ˈsmoʊldər/ to burn slowly and continuously, producing smoke but no flames:
A cigarette smouldered in the ashtray.
The fire in the chemical factory was so intense that it was still smouldering a week later.
flicker if a fire or flame flickers, it burns with an unsteady light that appears and disappears quickly:
A welcoming fire flickered in the grate.
Inside the shrine candles flicker next to statues of saints.
catch fire to start burning accidentally:
We were worried the house would catch fire.
Two farm workers died when a barn caught fire yesterday.
burst into flames to suddenly start burning and produce a lot of flames that cause serious damage:
The plane crashed into the side of the mountain and burst into flames.
ignite /ɪɡˈnaɪt/ technical if a chemical or gas ignites, it starts burning:
The compound ignites at 450 degrees Celsius.
Scientists could not explain why the gas had suddenly ignited.
set fire to something (also set something on fire) to make something start burning so that it gets damaged:
Vandals set fire to an empty warehouse.
Teresa wondered if the burning log might set fire to the curtains.
The Vikings attacked villages along the coast and set them on fire.
Sparks from the fireplace could easily set the curtains on fire.
scorch to damage the surface of something by burning it so that a dark mark is left on it:
Having the iron on a very high heat can scorch the fabric.
The heater was left on all night and it scorched the wall.
singe /sɪndʒ/ to damage hair, wool, paper etc by burning it slightly so that the ends or edges are burnt:
The flames were hot enough to singe your eyebrows.
scald to burn your skin with very hot liquid or steam:
The coffee was so hot it nearly scalded his tongue.
It’s easy to knock a pan off the stove and scald yourself.
He was scalded by steam escaping from the broken pipe.
put out to make something such as a fire, cigarette, or candle stop burning:
It took firefighters four hours to put out the blaze.
She threw sand on the fire to put it out.
I put out my cigarette and went back into the house.
extinguish /ɪkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/ formal to make something such as a fire, cigarette, or candle stop burning:
He managed to extinguish the flames with his coat.
Customers who smoke will be asked to extinguish their cigarettes or leave the premises.
blow out to make a flame or fire stop burning by blowing on it:
He blew out the candle and went to sleep.
The wind blew out the fire.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

hurt if part of your body hurts, it feels painful:
My chest hurts when I cough.
ache to hurt with a continuous pain:
I’d been walking all day and my legs were really aching.
throb to feel a bad pain that comes and goes again in a regular and continuous way:
Lou had a terrible headache and his whole head seemed to be throbbing.
sting to feel a sharp pain, or to make someone feel this, especially in your eyes, throat, or skin:
My throat stings every time I swallow.
This injection may sting a little.
smart to hurt with a sudden sharp pain – used especially about your eyes, or your skin where something has hit you:
Her eyes were smarting from the thick smoke.
Jackson’s face was still smarting from the punch.
burn to feel very hot and painful or uncomfortable:
Be careful because this chemical will make your skin burn.
His eyes were burning because of the gas.
pinch if something you are wearing pinches you, it is too tight and presses painfully on your skin:
The shirt was a bit too small and it was pinching my neck.
something is killing me spoken informal used when something feels very painful:
My legs are killing me.
These shoes are killing me.
a bad back/leg/arm etc if you have a bad back/leg/arm etc, it feels painful:
He’s off work with a bad back.
pain noun [uncountable and countable] the feeling when part of your body hurts:
A broken leg can cause a lot of pain.
He felt a sharp pain in his chest.
twinge noun [countable] a sudden slight pain that comes and then disappears quickly:
When I bent down I felt a twinge in my back.
discomfort noun [uncountable] formal an uncomfortable feeling in your body, or a slight pain:
The procedure takes five minutes and only causes slight discomfort.
agony noun [uncountable] a feeling of great pain, or a situation in which you feel a lot of pain:
the agony of childbirth
I was in agony by the time I got to the hospital.
It was agony (=very painful)getting up out of bed.
suffering noun [uncountable] continuous physical or mental pain, which makes someone very unhappy:
I just wanted someone to put an end to my suffering.
the suffering of the earthquake victims

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

hurt to damage part of your body, or someone else’s body:
She slipped on the ice and hurt herself badly.
Be careful you don’t hurt anyone with that knife.
injure to hurt yourself quite severely, or to be hurt in an accident or fighting:
One of our players has injured his leg, and will be out of the game for weeks.
Four people have been seriously injured on the Arizona highway.
wound to deliberately hurt someone using a weapon such as a knife or gun:
The gunmen shot and killed twelve people and wounded three others.
maim /meɪm/ [usually passive] to hurt someone very severely, especially so that they lose an arm, leg etc, often as the result of an explosion:
In countries where there are landmines, people are killed and maimed daily.
break to hurt a part of your body by breaking a bone in it:
The X-ray showed that I had broken my wrist.
bruise to hurt a part of your body when you fall on it or hit it, causing a dark mark to appear on your skin:
Cathy fell off her bike and bruised her legs badly.
sprain/twist to hurt your knee, wrist, shoulder etc by suddenly twisting it while you are moving:
I jumped down from the wall and landed awkwardly, spraining my ankle.
strain/pull to hurt one of your muscles by stretching it or using it too much:
When you are lifting heavy loads, be careful not to strain a back muscle.
dislocate to damage a joint in your body in a way that moves the two parts of the joint out of their normal position:
Our best batsman dislocated his shoulder during training.
paralyse [usually passive] to make someone lose the ability to move part or all of their body:
A climbing accident had left him paralysed from the chest down.
ache to hurt with a continuous pain:
I’d been walking all day and my legs were really aching.
throb to feel a bad pain that comes and goes again in a regular and continuous way:
Lou had a terrible headache and his whole head seemed to be throbbing.
sting to feel a sharp pain, or to make someone feel this, especially in your eyes, throat, or skin:
My throat stings every time I swallow.
This injection may sting a little.
smart to hurt with a sudden sharp pain – used especially about your eyes, or your skin where something has hit you:
Her eyes were smarting from the thick smoke.
Jackson’s face was still smarting from the punch.
burn to feel very hot and painful or uncomfortable:
Be careful because this chemical will make your skin burn.
His eyes were burning because of the gas.
pinch if something you are wearing pinches you, it is too tight and presses painfully on your skin:
The shirt was a bit too small and it was pinching my neck.
something is killing me spoken informal used when something feels very painful:
My legs are killing me.
These shoes are killing me.
a bad back/leg/arm etc if you have a bad back/leg/arm etc, it feels painful:
He’s off work with a bad back.
upset [not before noun] unhappy and worried because something unpleasant or disappointing has happened:
Miss Hurley is too upset to speak to anyone at the moment.
She’s still deeply upset about her uncle’s death.
He’s upset that he didn’t get an invitation to their wedding.
distressed very upset:
Priests have been counselling distressed relatives of the victims.
She was visibly distressed after hearing of her husband’s accident.
Matilda was too distressed to speak.
distraught written so upset and worried that you are unable to do normal things, and nothing can make you feel calm:
Benson was so distraught over the breakup of his marriage that he felt like committing suicide.
The distraught parents of the missing baby have made a public appeal for her return.
in a (terrible) state British English informal so upset that you cannot stop crying:
She called me one night in a terrible state, saying she wanted to die.
I could see that she was in a bit of a state.
be worked up informal to be very upset or angry, so that you think things are worse than they really are:
I was too worked up to sleep.
It’s not worth getting worked up about. Anyone can make a mistake.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

burn
̈ɪbə:n
See: ears burn , keep the home fires burning , money to burn

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲