burn

verb
UK: /bɜːn/
US: /bɝːn/

  1. To be hurt by fire or heat

    1. Don't touch the stove, you might burn yourself. [ ] [ ]
    2. She spilled hot coffee and managed to burn her hand quite badly. [ ] [ ]

  2. To destroy or damage something with fire

    1. We burn wood in our fireplace during the winter. [ ] [ ]
    2. The protesters decided to burn the effigy in the town square. [ ] [ ]

  3. To produce flames and heat

    1. The candle will burn for about four hours. [ ] [ ]
    2. Fossil fuels burn to generate electricity in many power plants. [ ] [ ]

  4. To feel a strong emotion

    1. He burns with ambition to become a successful actor. [ ] [ ]
    2. She could feel the anger burn inside her as she listened to the insults. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

sear char kindle combust inflame scorch blaze
burn noun

  1. An injury caused by fire or heat

    1. She has a burn on her arm from the oven. [ ] [ ]
    2. He treated the severe burn with a special ointment and bandage. [ ] [ ]
burn noun

  1. A small stream

    1. The hikers followed the burn up into the hills. [ ] [ ]
    2. We camped beside a clear, bubbling burn in the valley. [ ] [ ]
burn transitive-verb

  1. To use something (like fuel) as a source of energy

    1. Our car burns gasoline efficiently on long trips. [ ] [ ]
    2. The power plant burns coal to create electricity for the entire city. [ ] [ ]
burn intransitive-verb

  1. To produce heat or light

    1. The fire burns brightly in the hearth. [ ] [ ]
    2. Her talent burns with the intensity of the rising sun. [ ] [ ]
burn intransitive-verb

  1. To use energy.

    1. I burn calories when I exercise. [ ] [ ]
    2. Your body will burn through food quickly after an intense workout. [ ] [ ]
burn phrasal-verb

  1. Burn something down: Destroy completely by fire.

    1. They decided to burn the house down. [ ] [ ]
    2. Protesters threatened to burn the factory down if their demands weren't met. [ ] [ ]

  2. Burn out: To become very tired and unable to continue working because of stress

    1. She worked hard and felt to burn out. [ ] [ ]
    2. If you push yourself too hard, you will likely burn out within a few months. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "burn" in English means: To be hurt by fire or heat, To destroy or damage something with fire, To produce flames and heat, To feel a strong emotion.

The phonetic transcription of "burn" is /bɜːn/ in British English and /bɝːn/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "burn": sear, char, kindle, combust, inflame, scorch, blaze.

Example usage of "burn": "Don't touch the stove, you might burn yourself.". More examples on the page.