adjective
Common
burnt
burnt
Burnt (adjective) means Damaged, charred, or destroyed by fire or excessive heat. Example: “The burnt pie went straight into the bin because nobody could eat it.”
adjective
1
Damaged, charred, or destroyed by fire or excessive heat.
"The burnt pie went straight into the bin because nobody could eat it."
"She scraped the burnt bits off the toast."
"The burnt smell lingered in the kitchen for hours."
2
Having a sunburn.
"I forgot my sun cream and now my nose is burnt."
"The tourists were so burnt that they stayed indoors the next day."
"His shoulders were burnt after a day at the beach."
How to use burnt
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDamaged by fire or heat — the British-English preferred form of "burned," especially as an adjective before a noun.
UK vs US
British English typically uses "burnt" ("burnt toast"); American English favours "burned."
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more burnt
- Superlative
- most burnt
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The _____ pie went straight into the bin because nobody could eat it.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English brent or brynt; by surface analysis, formed from burn plus t.
Synonyms
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Frequently asked questions
What does “burnt” mean?
The word “burnt” means damaged, charred, or destroyed by fire or excessive heat. In plain terms, damaged by fire or heat — the British-English preferred form of "burned," especially as an adjective before a noun.
How do you pronounce “burnt”?
“Burnt” is pronounced burnt (/bɝnt/ in IPA).
How do you use “burnt” in a sentence?
Here is “burnt” used in a sentence: “She scraped the burnt bits off the toast.”
What part of speech is “burnt”?
“Burnt” is an adjective.
Is “burnt” a common word?
“Burnt” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “burnt” have?
“Burnt” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: damaged, charred, or destroyed by fire or excessive heat.
What is the difference between "burnt" and "burned"?
Both are correct past-tense and past-participle forms of the verb "burn." "Burned" is the standard choice in American English, while "burnt" is more common in British English, especially as an adjective. Even in American English, "burnt" is widely used before a noun, as in "burnt toast" or "burnt orange."
When should you use "burnt" as an adjective?
Use "burnt" before a noun to describe something damaged or charred by fire or excessive heat, such as "burnt food" or "a burnt smell." It can also describe sunburnt skin. As a verb form, American English generally prefers "burned," as in "she burned the letter."
Is it "burnt out" or "burned out"?
Both spellings are acceptable and follow the usual split: British English favors "burnt out" and American English "burned out." The phrase describes something destroyed by fire, such as a burnt-out car, or a person exhausted by prolonged stress. The related noun is always spelled "burnout."
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