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 beck [British], bourn (or bourne), brook, brooklet, creek [British], gill [British], rill, rivulet, run [chiefly Midland], runlet, runnel, streamletRelated Words arroyo, billabong [Australian], fresh, freshet, runoff; bayou, coulee, slough (also slew or slue), stream, wash; canal, channel, cut, cutoff, gut, kill, millrace, millstream, race, watercourse, waterway; affluent, branch, confluent, distributary, influent, tributary

1 to be on fire especially brightly all evening long we just sat there, contentedly watching the Yule log burn Synonyms blaze, combust, flame, glow Related Words 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 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 enkindle, fire, ignite, inflame (also enflame), kindle, light, torch Related Words 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 choke, smother, suffocate; stamp (out); blacken, darken, dim, dull, obscure Antonyms 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 boil, foam, fume, rage, rankle, seethe, sizzle, steam, stormRelated Words fulminate, rant, rave; smolder (or smoulder); bristle, flare (up), inflame (also enflame); chafe, fret, stew; agitate, convulse, roil, shake

4 to shine with a bright harsh light the bright streetlight outside our motel room burned all night long Synonyms beat, blaze, glare, flame, flareRelated Words 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 bamboozle, beguile, bluff, buffalo, deceive, catch, con, cozen, 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, sucker, suck in, take in, trickRelated Words kid, put on, tease; bleed, cheat, chisel, defraud, diddle, euchre, flam, fleece, gyp, hustle, mulct, rook, shortchange, skin, squeeze, stick, sting, swindleNear Antonyms debunk, expose, reveal, show up, uncloak, uncover, unmask; disclose, divulge, tell, unveil; disabuse, disenchant, disillusionAntonyms undeceive

6 to make complete use of heedlessly burning the country's resources without any concern for future generations Synonyms absorb, deplete, consume, devour, drain, draw down, exhaust, expend, play out, spend, use upRelated Words 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, wasteNear Antonyms augment, enlarge, increase; bolster, enforce, fortify, reinforce (also reenforce), strengthen; rebuild, repair, restore, revive; conserve, preserve, saveAntonyms renew, replace