burn
burn
Burn (noun) means an injury to skin or tissue caused by heat, fire, chemicals, or radiation. Example: “She got a nasty burn from the hot oven tray.”
noun
1
An injury to skin or tissue caused by heat, fire, chemicals, or radiation.
"She got a nasty burn from the hot oven tray."
"The doctor treated the burn with a cooling gel."
"The chef covered a small burn on his wrist with a plaster."
2
A sharp, cutting insult, especially one delivered wittily.
""You peaked in high school" — what a burn."
"His comeback was a savage burn that left the room in stitches."
"When she called his joke old news, the whole table agreed it was a proper burn."
verb
1
To be damaged, destroyed, or consumed by fire.
"The old barn burned to the ground overnight."
"Dry leaves burn quickly in autumn."
"The candle burned down slowly while we played cards by its light."
2
To injure with heat, fire, or a caustic substance.
"He burned his hand on the stove."
"Don't burn yourself on the hot pan handle."
"Be careful not to burn your tongue on the hot tea."
3
To copy data onto a CD, DVD, or similar disc.
"She burned the photos onto a DVD for her grandmother."
"He burned all of his favourite songs onto a disc for the road trip."
"Can you burn this video onto a DVD for me?"
4
To waste time, money, or other resources.
"The startup burned through its funding in under a year."
"Don't burn your whole weekend scrolling through your phone."
"The campaign burned a lot of cash without bringing in any new customers."
5
To betray or expose someone, especially an informant or agent.
"The spy was burned after his cover was leaked."
"The agent was furious when his handler burned him to protect the mission."
"Once a source is burned, nobody in the network will trust them again."
How to use burn
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo be on fire or destroyed by fire, to injure with heat, or (informally) a stinging insult or wasted resource.
Common mistake
Past tense can be "burned" or "burnt" — both are correct; "burnt" is more common in British English, especially as an adjective ("burnt toast").
Common pairings
burn calories
burn a CD
get burned
slow burn
sick burn
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like burn.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- burns
- Third person singular
- burns
- Past tense
- burned, burnt, brent
- Archaic forms
- burnest, burnedst, burntest, burneth
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She got a nasty _____ from the hot oven tray.
Etymology
From Old English forms (bærnan, byrnan) going back to a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to burn" — a distant relative of the word "brew."
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for burn
See all rhymes for burn →Frequently asked questions
What does “burn” mean?
The word “burn” means an injury to skin or tissue caused by heat, fire, chemicals, or radiation. In plain terms, to be on fire or destroyed by fire, to injure with heat, or (informally) a stinging insult or wasted resource.
How do you pronounce “burn”?
“Burn” is pronounced burn (/bɝn/ in IPA).
How do you use “burn” in a sentence?
Here is “burn” used in a sentence: “She got a nasty burn from the hot oven tray.”
What is another word for “burn”?
Words with a similar meaning to “burn” include combust, forburn, outburn, go up and torch.
What part of speech is “burn”?
Depending on how it is used, “burn” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “burn” come from?
The word “burn” comes from Old English. From Old English forms (bærnan, byrnan) going back to a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to burn" — a distant relative of the word "brew.".
Is “burn” a common word?
“Burn” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “burn” have?
“Burn” has 7 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: an injury to skin or tissue caused by heat, fire, chemicals, or radiation.
What are the different degrees of burn?
Burns are graded by depth. A first-degree burn affects only the outer skin, causing redness and pain, like mild sunburn. A second-degree burn reaches deeper and blisters. A third-degree burn destroys the full thickness of skin, and a fourth-degree burn extends into muscle or bone. Deeper burns are more serious.
What is the difference between a first- and second-degree burn?
The difference is depth. A first-degree burn touches only the top layer of skin, leaving it red, dry and sore but unbroken. A second-degree burn goes deeper into the layer beneath, so the skin blisters, weeps and hurts more. Second-degree burns generally take longer to heal and need more care.
What can cause a burn besides fire?
Plenty of things. As well as flames and hot objects, burns can come from scalding liquids or steam, harsh chemicals such as acids, electricity, friction, and radiation — including the sun's ultraviolet rays, which cause sunburn. Any of these can damage skin or tissue in a similar, painful way.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include burn:
