burn
verb
bɜːn 
bɜːrn bɜːnt bɜːrnt bɜːnd bɜːrnd fire
1 [intransitive] to produce flames and heatA welcoming fire was burning in the fireplace.Fires were burning all over the city.2 [intransitive] (used especially in the progressive tenses) to be on fireBy nightfall the whole city was burning.Two children were rescued from the burning car.The smell of burning rubber filled the air.3 [transitive, intransitive] to destroy, damage, injure or kill somebody/something by fire; to be destroyed, etc. by fireburn (somebody/something) to burn waste paper/dead leavesAll his belongings were burnt in the fire.The cigarette burned a hole in the carpet.The house was burnt to the ground (= completely destroyed).The house burned to the ground.Ten people burned to death in the hotel fire.burn somebody/something + adjective His greatest fear is of being burnt alive.fuel
4 [transitive, intransitive] burn (something) if you burn a fuel, or a fuel burns, it produces heat, light or energya furnace that burns gas/oil/coke (figurative) Some people burn calories (= use food to produce energy) faster than others.Which fuel burns most efficiently?food
5 [intransitive, transitive] if food burns, or if you burn it, it is spoiled because it gets too hotI can smell something burning in the kitchen.burn something Sorry—I burnt the toast.sun/heat/acid
6 [intransitive, transitive] to be damaged or injured by the sun, heat, acid, etc; to damage or injure somebody/something in this wayMy skin burns easily (= in the sun).burn somebody I got badly burned by the sun yesterday.burn something The soup's hot. Don't burn your mouth.burn yourself I burned myself on the stove.of part of body
7 [intransitive] if part of your body burns or is burning, it feels very hot and painfulYour forehead's burning. Have you got a fever?Her cheeks burned with embarrassment.of a light
8 [intransitive] to produce lightLights were burning upstairs, but no one answered the door.feel emotion/desire
9 [intransitive, transitive] (literary) to feel a very strong emotion or desireburn with something to be burning with rage/ambition/loveburn to do something He was burning to go climbing again.go fast
10 [intransitive] + adverb/preposition (informal) to move very fast in a particular directionThe car was burning down the road.make angry
11 [transitive] burn somebody (North American English, informal) to make somebody very angrySo you did it just to burn me?CD, etc.
12 [transitive, intransitive] burn (something) (to something) to put information onto a CD, etc.Idioms
burn your bridges
(British English also burn your boats) to do something that makes it impossible to return to the previous situation laterThink carefully before you resign—you don't want to burn your bridges.burn the candle at both ends
to become very tired by trying to do too many things and going to bed late and getting up early
burn your fingers
|get your fingers burnt
to suffer as a result of doing something without realizing the possible bad results, especially in business
He got his fingers badly burnt dabbling in the stock market.burn a hole in your pocket
if money burns a hole in your pocket, you want to spend it as soon as you have it
burn the midnight oil
to study or work until late at night
burn rubber
(informal) to drive very fastburn something to a cinder/crisp
to cook something for too long or with too much heat, so that it becomes badly burnt
Phrasal verbs
burn away
|burn something 
away
to disappear as a result of burning; to make something do thisHalf the candle had burnt away.The clothing on his back got burnt away in the fire.burn down
if a fire burns down, it becomes weaker and has smaller flamesburn down
|burn something down
to be destroyed, or to destroy something, by fireThe house burned down in 1895.burn something off
1 to remove something by burningBurn off the old paint before repainting the door.2 to use energy by doing exerciseThis workout helps you to burn off fat and tone muscles.burn out
|burn itself out
(of a fire) to stop burning because there is nothing more to burnThe fire had burnt (itself) out before the fire engines arrived.burn out
|burn something out
to stop working or to make something stop working because it gets too hot or is used too muchThe clutch has burnt out.burn out
|burn yourself/somebody out
to become extremely tired or sick by working too hard over a period of timeIf he doesn't stop working so hard, he'll burn himself out.By the age of 25 she was completely burned out and retired from the sport. related noun burnoutburn something out
[usually passive] to destroy something completely by fire so that only the outer frame remainsThe hotel was completely burnt out.the burnt-out wreck of a carburn up
1 to be destroyed by heatThe spacecraft burned up as it entered the earth's atmosphere.2 (usually used in the progressive tenses) (informal) to have a high temperatureYou're burning up—have you seen a doctor?3 (of a fire) to burn more strongly and with larger flamesburn somebody up
(North American English, informal) to make somebody very angryThe way he treats me really burns me up.burn something up
1 to get rid of or destroy something by burningThe fire burned up 1500 acres of farmland.2 to use calories or energy by doing exerciseWhich burns up more calories—swimming or cycling?
Usage note: hurtache burn sting tingle itch throbThese are all words that can be used when part of your body feels painful.hurt (of part of your body) to feel painful; (of an action) to cause pain: My feet hurt. ◇ Ouch! That hurt!ache to feel a continuous dull pain: I'm aching all over.burn (of part of your body) to feel very hot and painful: Our eyes were burning from the chemicals in the air.sting to make somebody feel a sharp burning pain or uncomfortable feeling in part of their body; (of part of your body) to feel this pain: My eyes were stinging from the smoke.tingle (of part of your body) to feel as if a lot of small sharp points are pushing into the skin there: The cold air made her face tingle.itch to have an uncomfortable feeling on your skin that makes you want to scratch; to make your skin feel like this: I itch all over. ◇ Does the rash itch?throb (of part of your body) to feel pain as a series of regular beats: His head throbbed painfully.your eyes hurt/ache/burn/sting/itchyour skin hurts/burns/stings/tingles/itchesyour flesh hurts/burns/stings/tinglesyour head hurts/aches/throbsyour stomach hurts/achesto really hurt/ache/burn/sting/tingle/itch/throbto hurt/ache/sting/itch badly/a lotIt hurts/stings/tingles/itches.Usage note: burnchar scald scorch singeThese words all mean to damage, injure, destroy or kill somebody/something with heat or fire.burn to damage, injure, destroy or kill somebody/something with fire, heat or acid; to be damaged, etc. by fire, heat or acid: She burned all his letters. ◇ The house burned down in 1995.char [usually passive] to make something black by burning it; to become black by burning: The bodies had been charred beyond recognition.scald to burn part of your body with very hot liquid or steam.scorch to burn and slightly damage a surface by making it too hot: I scorched my dress when I was ironing it.singe to burn the surface of something slightly, usually by mistake; to be burnt in this way: He singed his hair as he tried to light his cigarette.scorch or singe?Things are scorched by heat or fire. Things can only be singed by fire or a flame.to burn/scald yourself/your handto burn/scorch/singe your hair/clothesburned out/charred/scorched remains/ruins/buildings