burn
noun
Definitions of burn noun
injury
- Countable
a mark or injury caused by fire or extreme heat
The firefighter sustained multiple severe burns in the explosion.
I spotted a burn mark on the carpet from a cigarette.
She had a burn on her arm from hot oil.
water
- Countable
a small stream
speech
- Countableslang
a clever and usually funny insult or criticism
She said you were too old for her? Ouch, burn!
You forgot my birthday? Burn!
verb
Definitions of burn verb
damage
- B1TransitiveIntransitive
to be damaged or destroyed by fire or extreme heat, or to cause this to happen
He was severely burned in the fire.
She burned his old love letters.
Unable to escape, six people were burned alive in the building.
hurt
- TransitiveUsually passive
to cause emotional pain or distress to someone
He was deeply burned by the feeling of betrayal.
She was burned by his cruel words.
fire
- B1Intransitive
to be on fire or to produce flames
The wood was too wet to burn.
We watched helplessly as the house burned.
The fire was burning brightly in the fireplace.
light
- Intransitive
to produce light
I saw a light burning in her window.
The lighthouse burned in the distance, illuminating the dark.
sensation
- TransitiveIntransitive
If your face or skin burns, it feels very hot.
His face burned with embarrassment.
He was burning with anger.
The brandy burned my throat.
desire
- Verb + to infinitive
to want to do something very much
She was burning to tell us her news.
He was burning to win the race.
copy
- B2Transitive
to copy information, recorded music, images, etc. onto a CD
Burn your favorite songs or important files onto a CD.
I need to burn these photos onto a DVD.
Phrases of burn verb
- burn someone at the stake
To execute someone by fastening them to a post and setting them on fire.
• He refused to renounce his faith and was subsequently burned at the stake.
- burn (something) to the ground
To completely destroy a building or structure by fire, reducing it to ashes or ruins.
• The old factory was burned to the ground in an accident.
Idioms
- burn the midnight oil
To work or study late into the night, often indicating a great deal of effort.
• She had to burn the midnight oil every night to meet the deadline.
- burn the candle at both ends
To exhaust oneself by working or engaging in activities from early morning until late at night, thereby getting insufficient rest.
• She's been burning the candle at both ends to finish the project, working from early morning till late every day.
- get/have your fingers burned
To experience negative consequences, especially financial loss, as a result of a poor decision or action, which serves as a deterrent against repeating it.
• He invested in an unfamiliar market and got his fingers burned, suffering significant losses.
- burn your boats/bridges
To irrevocably commit to a course of action, eliminating any possibility of returning to a previous state or position.
• He publicly criticized his boss, which was like burning his bridges.
- burn a hole in someone's pocket
To have money that one is very eager to spend quickly.
• As soon as he got his paycheck, it was like the money was burning a hole in his pocket, and he spent it all immediately.
Phrasal Verbs of burn
- burn up with something
To experience an emotion so intensely that it hinders one's ability to respond rationally.
• She was burning up with anxiety over losing her job, unable to think rationally about her future.
- burn (something) down
to cause the destruction of an object, particularly a building, through fire, or to be obliterated by fire
• The fire burned the entire building down.
- burn with something
To experience an intense emotion in a very strong way.
• She burned with anxiety over losing her job.
- burn out
When a fire ceases to burn, it is due to exhausting all flammable material.
• The campfire burned out when the last log was consumed.
- burn up
to experience a severe fever
• When he got sick, his temperature began to burn up.
- burn something off/up
to expend energy or reduce fat through extensive physical exercise
• She goes to the gym every week to burn off extra calories.
- burn (yourself) out
to have to cease working due to becoming sick or extremely fatigued from overworking
• He had to take a break after working overtime at the company for too long because he felt completely burned out.
- burn sb up
to cause someone to feel anger
• His failure to apologize really burned me up.
- burn (something) up
to completely destroy something using fire or heat, or for something to be entirely consumed by fire or heat.
• The flames from the fire completely burned up the old house.