7 VERB [usu passive] If someone is burnt or burnt to death, they are killed by fire. □ [be V -ed + as ] Women were burned as witches in the middle ages. □ [be V -ed + to ] At least 80 people were burnt to death when their bus caught fire.
8 VERB If a light is burning , it is shining. [LITERARY ] □ [V ] The building was darkened except for a single light burning in a third-story window.
9 VERB [usu cont] If your face is burning , it is red because you are embarrassed or upset. □ [V ] Liz's face was burning.
10 VERB If you are burning with an emotion or are burning to do something, you feel that emotion or the desire to do that thing very strongly. □ [V + with ] The young boy was burning with a fierce ambition. □ [V to-inf] Dan burned to know what the reason could be.
11 VERB If you burn or get burned in the sun, the sun makes your skin become red and sore. □ [V ] Build up your tan slowly and don't allow your skin to burn. □ [V n] Summer sun can burn fair skin in minutes.
12 VERB If a part of your body burns or if something burns it, it has a painful, hot, or stinging feeling. □ [V ] My eyes burn from staring at the needle. □ [V + with ] His face was burning with cold. □ [V n] …delicious Indian recipes which won't burn your throat.
13 VERB To burn a CD-ROM means to write or copy data onto it. [COMPUTING ] □ [V n] You can use this software to burn custom compilations of your favorite tunes.
14 → see also burning
15 to burn the candle at both ends → see candle
16 to get your fingers burned → see finger
17 to burn something to the ground → see ground
18 to burn the midnight oil → see midnight
19 to have money to burn → see money
▸ burn down PHRASAL VERB If a building burns down or if someone burns it down , it is completely destroyed by fire. □ [V P ] Six months after Bud died, the house burned down. □ [V P n] Anarchists burnt down a restaurant. [Also V n P ]
▸ burn off PHRASAL VERB If someone burns off energy, they use it. □ [V P n] This will improve your performance and help you burn off calories. [Also V n P ]
▸ burn out
1 PHRASAL VERB If a fire burns itself out , it stops burning because there is nothing left to burn. □ [V pron-refl P ] Fire officials let the fire burn itself out.
2 → see also burnout , burnt-out
▸ burn up
1 PHRASAL VERB If something burns up or if fire burns it up , it is completely destroyed by fire or strong heat. □ [V P ] The satellite re-entered the atmosphere and burned up. □ [V P n] Fires have burned up 180,000 acres of timber. [Also V n P ]
2 PHRASAL VERB If something burns up fuel or energy, it uses it. □ [V P n] Brisk walking burns up more calories than slow jogging. [Also V n P ] COLLOCATIONS burn VERB 2
burn + adverb : brightly, fiercely NOUN 6
adjective + burn : horrific, serious, severe; minor
verb + burn : suffer
bu rned-ou t → see burnt-out
burn|er /bɜː r nə r / (burners )
1 N‑COUNT A burner is a device which produces heat or a flame, especially as part of a cooker, stove, or heater. □ He put the frying pan on the gas burner.
2 → see also back burner , front burner
burn|ing /bɜː r n I ŋ/
1 ADJ You use burning to describe something that is extremely hot. □ …the burning desert of Central Asia. ● ADV [ADV adj] Burning is also an adverb. □ He touched the boy's forehead. It was burning hot.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] If you have a burning interest in something or a burning desire to do something, you are extremely interested in it or want to do it very much. □ I had a burning ambition to become a journalist. □ She had a burning desire to wreak revenge.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] A burning issue or question is a very important or urgent one that people feel very strongly about. □ The burning question is: whose taxes should be raised?
bur|nish /bɜː r n I ʃ/ (burnishes , burnishing , burnished ) VERB To burnish the image of someone or something means to improve their image. [WRITTEN ] □ [V n] It was a move that has burnished Mr Hu's populist credentials.
bur|nished /bɜː r n I ʃt/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can describe something as burnished when it is bright or smooth. [LITERARY ] □ The clouds glowed like burnished gold.
burn|out /bɜː r naʊt/ also burn-out N‑UNCOUNT If someone suffers burnout , they exhaust themselves at an early stage in their life or career because they have achieved too much too quickly. [INFORMAL ]
burnt /bɜː r nt/ Burnt is a past tense and past participle of burn .
bu rnt-out also burned-out
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Burnt-out vehicles or buildings have been so badly damaged by fire that they can no longer be used. □ …a burnt-out car.