combust

verb

com·​bust kəm-ˈbəst 

combusted; combusting; combusts

: burn

Synonyms of combust

• burn
• glow
• flame

Examples of combust in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

What if the atavism under way isn’t just a miasma of unpleasantness but a buildup of gas waiting to combust? — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2026

Make sure there are no overhanging limbs that could combust; cut back and remove nearby grasses, brambles, and underbrush; and have a fire extinguisher ready to deal with any embers that float away. — Steven John, Architectural Digest, 29 Oct. 2026

Rather than heating massive reactors inefficiently from the outside or burning methane, the team placed a burner directly inside the reactor to combust a small portion of hydrogen. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026

As staff piled more rags on top, the temperature inside the trash can rose, causing the materials to spontaneously combust. — Kayla Huynh, jsonline.com, 21 Aug. 2026

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