Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

burn

noun , British

Synonyms and Antonyms of burn

a natural body of running water smaller than a river
  • the walkers forded the shallow burn and then came upon a field of gorse
Synonyms of burn

beck [British], bourn (or bourne), brook, brooklet, creek, gill [British], rill, rivulet, run [chiefly Midland], runlet, runnel, streamlet
Words Related to burn

arroyo, billabong [Australian], fresh, freshet, runoff

bayou, coulee, slough (also slew), stream, wash

canal, channel, cut, cutoff, gut, kill, millrace, millstream, race, watercourse, waterway

affluent, branch, confluent, distributary, influent, tributary

burn

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of burn

1 to be on fire especially brightly
  • all evening long we just sat there, contentedly watching the Yule log burn
Synonyms of burn

blaze, combust, flame, glow
Words Related to burn

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 Synonymous with burn

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 of burn

enkindle, fire, ignite, inflame (also enflame), kindle, light, torch
Words Related to burn

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 of burn

choke, smother, suffocate

stamp (out)

blacken, darken, dim, dull, obscure
Antonyms of burn

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 of burn

boil, foam, fume, rage, rankle, seethe, sizzle, steam, storm
Words Related to burn

fulminate, rant, rave

smolder (or smoulder)

bristle, flare (up), inflame (also enflame)

chafe, fret, stew

agitate, convulse, roil, shake
Phrases Synonymous with burn

see red
4 to shine with a bright harsh light
  • the bright streetlight outside our motel room burned all night long
Synonyms of burn

beat, blaze, flame, flare, glare
Words Related to burn

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 of burn

bamboozle, beguile, bluff, buffalo, catch, con, cozen, deceive, 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, suck in, sucker, take in, trick
Words Related to burn

kid, put on, tease

bleed, cheat, chisel, defraud, diddle, euchre, flam, fleece, gyp, hustle, mulct, rook, shortchange, skin, squeeze, stick, sting, swindle
Phrases Synonymous with burn

do a number on, lead one down the garden path (also lead one up the garden path), pull one's leg, pull the wool over one's eyes
Near Antonyms of burn

debunk, expose, reveal, show up, uncloak, uncover, unmask

disclose, divulge, tell, unveil

disabuse, disenchant, disillusion
Antonyms of burn

undeceive
6 to make complete use of
  • heedlessly burning the country's resources without any concern for future generations
Synonyms of burn

absorb, consume, deplete, devour, drain, draw down, exhaust, expend, play out, spend, use up
Words Related to burn

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
Phrases Synonymous with burn

run out of
Near Antonyms of burn

augment, enlarge, increase

bolster, enforce, fortify, reinforce (also reenforce), strengthen

rebuild, repair, restore, revive

conserve, preserve, save
Antonyms of burn

renew, replace

Learn More about burn

  1. See words that rhyme with burn Dictionary: Definition of burn Medical Dictionary: Definition of burn Spanish Central: Translation of burn Nglish: Translation of burn for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of burn for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about burn

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up burn? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

hamartia

Listen to the pronounciation of hamartia

a flaw that causes the downfall of a hero

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. catamount Vermont enters the Round of 64

  2. mendacious, mendacity George Conway calls Trump a liar

  3. crawdad New novel makes waves

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games