1
as in blazing
being on fire
a firefighter must be that rare soul who rushes into a burning house, not away from it
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2
as in boiling
having a notably high temperature
a burning sauna seems like a welcome retreat after a day of shoveling snow
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3
as in warm
having or expressing great depth of feeling
the burning enthusiasm of that candidate's campaign workers
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4
as in urgent
needing immediate attention
once again the media ignored the burning issues and focused on fluff
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1
as in glowing
to be on fire especially brightly
all evening long we just sat there, contentedly watching the Yule log burn
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2
as in scorching
to set (something) on fire
it is not a good idea to try to burn old papers in the sink
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3
as in steaming
to be excited or emotionally stirred up with anger
he came home burning with anger because of a reprimand at work
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4
as in flaring
to shine with a bright harsh light
the bright streetlight outside our motel room burned all night long
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5
as in tricking
to cause to believe what is untrue
he's been burned before, so he's careful to double-check such claims now
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6
as in consuming
to make complete use of
heedlessly burning the country's resources without any concern for future generations
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Cite this Entry
“Burning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burning. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.
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