burn

1 of 3

verb

burned ˈbərnd How to pronounce burn (audio)
ˈbərnt
or burnt ˈbərnt How to pronounce burn (audio) ; burning; burns

intransitive verb

1
a
: to consume fuel and give off heat, light, and gases
A small fire burned on the hearth.
b
: to undergo combustion
Soft woods burn easily.Marc Hayot
also : to undergo nuclear fission or nuclear fusion
A constant fusion fire burns in its core, where the hydrogen atomic nuclei merge into helium. Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics
c
: to contain a fire
a little stove burning in the corner
d
: to give off light : shine, glow
a light burning in the window
… an incandescent light bulb burns for 3,000 hours.Jena Tesse Fox
e
: to use freely without limits
children with energy to burn
Whether you have money to burn or are on a tight budget, you can build an entire home gym …Chris Woolston
… the organization has been burning through money at an unsustainable rate for years …Jim Ridley
2
a
: to be hot
the burning sand
b
: to produce or undergo an uncomfortable or painful sensation like that of being injured by fire
ears burning from the cold
My tongue was burning from the hot peppers.
There was also a menacing pinprick sensation along the top of my head as my feet burned on the asphalt.Peter Merkl
c
: to become emotionally excited or agitated: such as
(1)
: to feel an intense desire
She was burning to tell her story.
(2)
: to be or become very angry or disgusted
The remark made him burn.
3
a
: to undergo alteration or destruction by the action of fire or heat
The house burned down.
The potatoes burned to a crisp.
b
informal : to die in the electric chair
4
: to force or make a way by or as if by burning
Her words burned into his heart.
5
: to suffer sunburn
She burns easily.
Any exposed part of your body, including your earlobes, scalp and lips, can burn.Laurel Kelly

transitive verb

1
a
: to cause (something) to undergo combustion
especially : to destroy (something) by fire
They burned all his letters.
b
: to use (something) as fuel
This furnace burns gas.
We used to burn wood to cook and heat all over Alaska.Robert Seitz
c
: to use (something) up : consume
burn calories
If Philadelphia managed a stop, they could burn a timeout and still have plenty of time for another offensive possession to respond to a potential field goal.Greg Wong
2
a
: to transform (something) by exposure to heat or fire
burn wood into charcoal
b
: to produce (something) by burning
burned a hole in his sleeve
c
: to record digital data or music on (an optical disc) using a laser
burn a CD
also : to record (data or music) in this way
burn songs onto a disk
… one of the most frequent ways to distribute entertainment is to burn a DVD movie onto a rewritable compact disc. Hugh Grant
3
a
: to injure or damage (something or someone) by or as if by exposure to fire, heat, or radiation : scorch
burned her hand
burned himself with the hot pan
… cayenne pepper will burn your eyes.John Green
b
: to execute (something) by burning
Heretics are no longer burned at the stake.Roger Scruton
c
informal : electrocute
4
a
: irritate, annoy
often used with up
It really burns me up!
b
: to subject to misfortune, mistreatment, or deception
often used in passive
has been burned in love
… people with more money than sense are going to get burned.Stuart Jeffries
c
: to beat or score on
burned the defense with a touchdown pass
It's a way of saying we're going to burn the other team at the game …Zaimarie De Guzman
burnable adjective
removed all the burnable material
burnable CDs

burn

2 of 3

noun (1)

plural burns
1
: an act, process, instance, or result of burning: such as
a
: injury or damage resulting from exposure to fire, heat, caustics, electricity, or certain radiations
b
: a burned area
a burn on the tabletop
c
: an abrasion (as of the skin) having the appearance of a burn
rope burns
d
: a burning sensation
the burn of iodine on a cut
2
: the firing of a rocket engine in flight
3
: anger
especially : increasing fury
used chiefly in the phrase slow burn
4
slang : a cutting remark intended to embarrass or humiliate someone
used chiefly in the phrase sick burn
But plenty of us peasants know the feeling: We have stared down an unraveling romantic relationship and wanted desperately to spew one more sick burn or two about a now-former partner.Alana Massey
During a lecture on conservatism at an Ivy League university, a 65-year-old guest speaker delivered a sick burn to the president of the United States.Amanda Arnold

burn

3 of 3

noun (2)

British
Phrases
burn one's bridges or less commonly burn one's boats
: to cut off all means of retreat
burn one's ears
: to rebuke strongly
burn the candle at both ends
: to use one's resources or energies to excess
burn the midnight oil
: to work or study far into the night

Examples of burn in a Sentence

Verb A flame is kept constantly burning at the monument. A small fire burned brightly in the fireplace. There was a little stove burning in the front room. I could smell smoke and knew that something was burning. Be sure not to leave any candles burning when you go to bed. I burned the letter when I had finished reading it. The new town law makes it illegal to burn trash. The wildfire has burned acres of forest. Parts of the house were badly burned in the fire. a material that burns easily
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The pair, who met as college undergrads, both burned with idealism and recognized their privilege could be leveraged for a game-changing idea. Carole Horst, Variety, 13 Sep. 2023 The Ellen MacArthur Foundation promotes circular fashion and says that, in the United States, an amount of clothing equal to a garbage truck is ferried to landfills or burned every second. Neeti Mehra, Treehugger, 13 Sep. 2023 Thick smoke of burning incense penetrates the room, perfuming everything sacred. Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2023 Be sure to burn this candle on a heat-safe surface, and always trim the wick to ¼ or ½ inch before lighting for the best candle burning results. Sarah Wolf Halverson, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Sep. 2023 Such interactions can light a fuse that may burn throughout a school year, only to erupt when students arrive for a new semester driving their parents’ car. Courtland Milloy, Washington Post, 12 Sep. 2023 William Lucas, 8, survived after Tonya Lucas’ boyfriend at the time rescued him from the burning home. Alex Mann, Baltimore Sun, 12 Sep. 2023 Yet, Ewers’ cannon of a right arm burned the Tide’s secondary more often than not with six completions of at least 30 yards. Nick Alvarez | Nalvarez@al.com, al, 10 Sep. 2023 An estimated 358,000 vehicles were damaged from Hurricane Ian’s widespread flooding in Florida and the Carolinas and only 21 electric vehicles are known to have burned — a number much lower than some officials initially warned of. Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2023
Noun
The people of East Palestine are still living with the consequences of this toxic burn. CBS News, 7 Mar. 2024 The number of dead cattle is expected to double or triple in the coming days as inspectors continue inspecting the land and animals are euthanized because of burn injuries and trauma, Sid Miller, commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture, told USA TODAY. Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2024 Plus, the mystical waters are still used in the town of La Roche-Posay at its Thermal Center—a facility and spa that treats over 7,000 patients annually who are looking to treat burns, eczema, psoriasis, and skin effects from cancer treatments. Kiana Murden, Vogue, 5 Mar. 2024 Police saw burn wounds on the baby’s body, and the Kansas City Fire Department declared the baby dead at the scene. Andrea Klick, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2024 There’s the Soft Serve After Shave Oil, which prevents razor burn and ingrown hairs with a blend of anti-inflammatory peptides to reduce redness and heal bumps, hyaluronic acid to hydrate and strawberry that’s naturally loaded with AHAs to exfoliate. Celia Shatzman, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 In our current burn ’n’ churn medical climate, many people wondered from the first exactly what kind of surgery requires a two-week hospital stay and an almost three-month recovery period. Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb. 2024 At least 43 people have died and 22 others are being treated at hospitals with burn wounds, Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen told reporters after visiting the Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Reuters, CNN, 29 Feb. 2024 During a simulated concert, pyrotechnics accidentally set Jackson’s hair on fire, causing second-degree burns to his scalp. Paul Grein, Billboard, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'burn.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English birnen, from Old English byrnan, intransitive verb, bærnan, transitive verb; akin to Old High German brinnan to burn

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German brunno spring of water

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2c

Noun (1)

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of burn was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near burn

Cite this Entry

“Burn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burn. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

burn

1 of 2 verb
burned
ˈbərnd,
ˈbərnt
or burnt
ˈbərnt
; burning
1
: to be or set on fire
2
a
: to feel hot or inflamed
the burning sand
b
: to become excited
burn with anger
c
: scorch entry 1 sense 1
burned the toast
d
: to appear as if on fire : glow
leave a light burning in the window
e
: to destroy by fire
burn trash
f
: to use as fuel
this furnace burns gas
your body burns food
3
a
: to produce by the action of fire or heat
burn a hole in the rug
b
: to record data or music on a disk using a laser
burn a CD
4
: to injure or change by or as if by fire or heat
burn out a bearing
5
: to suffer sunburn
she burns easily
burnable
ˈbər-nə-bəl
adjective
burningly
-niŋ-lē
adverb

burn

2 of 2 noun
: injury, damage, or effect produced by or as if by burning

Medical Definition

burn

1 of 2 verb
burned ˈbərnd How to pronounce burn (audio) ˈbərnt How to pronounce burn (audio) or burnt ˈbərnt How to pronounce burn (audio) ; burning

intransitive verb

1
: to produce or undergo discomfort or pain
iodine burns so
ears burning from the cold
2
: to become reddened or irritated by or as if by exposure to sun or wind
she burns easily

transitive verb

1
: to injure or damage by exposure to fire, heat, or radiation
burned his hand
2
: to break down and use as a source of energy
burn calories during exercise

burn

2 of 2 noun
1
: bodily injury resulting from exposure to heat, caustics, electricity, or some radiations, marked by varying degrees of skin destruction and hyperemia often with the formation of watery blisters and in severe cases by charring of the tissues, and classified according to the extent and degree of the injury see first-degree burn, second-degree burn, third-degree burn
2
: an abrasion having the appearance of a burn
friction burns
cold burn
3
: a burning sensation
the burn of iodine applied to a cut

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