burn

burn

verb

Definition of BURN

1

to be on fire especially brightly <all evening long we just sat there, contentedly watching the Yule log burn>

Synonyms blaze, combust, flame, glow

Related Words catch, enkindle; deflagrate, fire, ignite, kindle; flare (up), light (up); flicker, gutter, waver; bake, broil, char, cook, melt, roast, scorch, swelter; smolder (or smoulder), spark, sputter; beam, brighten, radiate; beat (down), flash, glare, gleam, glimmer, glint, glisten, glitter, scintillate, shimmer, shine, sparkle, twinkle

Phrases go up in flames

2

to set (something) on fire <it is not a good idea to try to burn old papers in the sink>

Synonyms enkindle, fire, ignite, inflame (also enflame), kindle, light, torch

Related Words immolate; deflagrate; char, frizzle, scorch; bake, broil, cook; ash, cremate, incinerate, kiln; set off; brighten, illuminate, illumine, irradiate, lighten, radiate; scald, scathe, sear; reignite, rekindle, relight; bank, stoke

Near Antonyms choke, smother, suffocate; stamp (out); blacken, darken, dim, dull, obscure

Antonyms douse (also dowse), extinguish, put out, quench, snuff (out)

3

to be excited or emotionally stirred up with anger <he came home burning with anger because of a reprimand at work>

Synonyms burn, foam, fume, rage, rankle, seethe, sizzle, steam, storm

Related Words fulminate, rant, rave; smolder (or smoulder); bristle, flare (up), inflame (also enflame); chafe, fret, stew; agitate, convulse, roil, shake

4

to shine with a bright harsh light <the bright streetlight outside our motel room burned all night long>

Synonyms beat, blaze, burn, flame, flare

Related Words beam, glow, radiate; flash, glance, gleam, glimmer, glint, glisten, glister, glitter, scintillate, shimmer, sparkle, twinkle; bedazzle, blind, daze, dazzle

5

to cause to believe what is untrue <he's been burned before, so he's careful to double-check such claims now>

Synonyms bamboozle, beguile, bluff, buffalo, burn, catch, con, cozen, delude, dupe, fake out, fool, gaff, gammon, gull, have, have on [chiefly British], hoax, hoodwink, hornswoggle, humbug, juggle, misguide, misinform, mislead, snooker, snow, spoof, string along, sucker, suck in, take in, trick

Related Words kid, put on, tease; bleed, cheat, chisel, defraud, diddle, euchre, flam, fleece, gyp, hustle, mulct, rook, shortchange, skin, squeeze, stick, sting, swindle

Near Antonyms debunk, expose, reveal, show up, uncloak, uncover, unmask; disclose, divulge, tell, unveil; disabuse, disenchant, disillusion

Antonyms undeceive

6

to make complete use of <heedlessly burning the country's resources without any concern for future generations>

Synonyms absorb, burn, consume, devour, drain, draw down, exhaust, expend, play out, spend, use up

Related Words abate, decrease, de-escalate, diminish, downsize, dwindle, lessen, lower, reduce; eat, use; bankrupt, clean (out), impoverish; cripple, debilitate, disable, enfeeble, sap, undermine, weaken; dry up, empty; blow, dissipate, fritter (away), guzzle, lavish, misspend, run through, squander, throw away, waste

Near Antonyms augment, enlarge, increase; bolster, enforce, fortify, reinforce (also reenforce), strengthen; rebuild, repair, restore, revive; conserve, preserve, save

Antonyms renew, replace