combust

verb

com·​bust kəm-ˈbəst 

combusted; combusting; combusts

: burn

Synonyms

• blaze
• burn
• flame
• glow

Examples of combust in a Sentence

anthracite, which is naturally hard, combusts more cleanly than bituminous coal

Recent Examples on the Web

Electric ground source heat pumps extracting heat from geothermal wells in winter deliver at least three times as much heat as the equivalent of electric power input, and will be less expensive than combusting natural gas. —David Englert, Hartford Courant, 3 Mar. 2025

Better battery management systems and less flammable, metal enclosures could help prevent fires without retardants Researchers say the best solution to this growing problem might be to focus on making efforts to prevent batteries from combusting in the first place. —Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 30 Jan. 2025

While many of the family squabbles do eventually combust, Headland seems to acquiesce here and treads a little too delicately. —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2024

The plan seems destined to rival the negotiation process that Trump’s administration opened with Russia last month, and suggests a tacit acceptance that bringing Trump and Zelensky to the negotiating table together could result in tensions combusting once more. —Rob Picheta, CNN, 2 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

derivative of earlier combust, combusted "burned, consumed," going back to Middle English combust, borrowed from Latin combustus, past participle of combūrere "to destroy with fire, reduce to ashes, calcine," from com- com- + ūrere "to expose to fire, burn, scorch" (with -b- from ambūrere "to burn around, scorch," falsely parsed as am- + būrere) — more at adust

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for combust

• adjust
• discussed
• disgust
• distrust
• entrust
• intrust
• mistrust
• nonplussed
• robust
• sawdust
• stardust
• unjust

Kids Definition

combust

verb

com·​bust kəm-ˈbəst 

: to be or set on fire : burn