burning

adjective

burn·​ing ˈbər-niŋ How to pronounce burning (audio)
1
a
: being on fire
b
: ardent, intense
burning enthusiasm
2
a
: affecting with or as if with heat
a burning fever
b
: resembling that produced by a burn
a burning sensation on the tongue
3
: of fundamental importance : urgent
one of the burning issues of our time
burningly adverb

Example Sentences

She stared at the burning embers for a long time. a burning hatred of corruption The medicine produced a burning sensation on my tongue. Symptoms include itchy, burning eyes.
Recent Examples on the Web Designed to analyze any carbon-containing material found underneath Mars’s surface, the rover’s next-generation mass spectrometer is the linchpin of a strategy to finally answer the most burning question about the Red Planet: Is there evidence of past or present life? Carmen Drahl, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 May 2023 My most burning question? Jessica Goldstein, Vulture, 22 Dec. 2021 What is your most burning question? Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2021 All this has much in common with a burning issue that surfaced in the early 1950s. Rabbi Avi Weiss, Sun Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2023 Nathan Gemeinhart, 42, was found shot to death Aug. 9 inside a vacant and burning house. Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 1 Jan. 2023 Underlying his politics at large was a burning sense of justice — especially for the poor and vulnerable. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 30 Nov. 2022 Dallas needs to show a similar willingness to experiment, iterate and adapt — and do so with a burning sense of urgency, local leaders say. Dallas News, 19 Jan. 2022 It was fired by his burning lead guitar line, which took influence from Indian music and which served as the song’s hook. Jim Farber, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2023 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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

Dictionary Entries Near burning

Cite this Entry

“Burning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burning. Accessed 5 Jun. 2023.

Medical Definition

burning

1 of 2 adjective
burn·​ing ˈbər-niŋ How to pronounce burning (audio)
1
: affecting with or as if with heat
a burning fever
2
: resembling that produced by a burn
a burning sensation on the tongue

burning

2 of 2 noun
: a sensation of being on fire or excessively heated
gastric burning

More from Merriam-Webster on burning

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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