to undergo rapid combustion or consume fuel in such a way as to give off heat, gases, and, usually, light; be on fire

The fire burned in the grate.

(of a fireplace, furnace, etc.) to contain a fire.

to feel heat or a physiologically similar sensation; feel pain from or as if from a fire

The wound burned and throbbed.

to give off light or to glow brightly

The lights in the house burned all night.

to give off heat or be hot

The pavement burned in the noon sun.

to produce pain or a stinging sensation similar to that of fire; cause to smart

The whiskey burned in his throat.

Games . to be extremely close to finding a concealed object or guessing an answer.

to feel extreme anger

When she said I was rude, I really burned.

to feel strong emotion or passion

He burned with desire.

Chemistry .

to undergo combustion, either fast or slow; oxidize.

to undergo fission or fusion.

to become charred or overcooked by heat

The steak burned around the edges.

to receive a sunburn

She burns easily and has to stay in the shade.

to be damned

You may burn for that sin.

Slang . to die in an electric chair

The murderer was sentenced to burn.

to be engraved by or as if by burning

His words burned into her heart.

to cause to undergo combustion or be consumed partly or wholly by fire.

to use as fuel or as a source of light

He burned coal to heat the house.

to cause to feel the sensation of heat.

to overcook or char

I almost burned the roast.

to sunburn.

to injure, endanger, or damage with or as if with fire

Look out, you'll burn yourself!

to execute by burning

The heretic was burned at the stake.

to subject to fire or treat with heat as a process of manufacturing.

to produce with or as if with fire

She burned a hole in her dress.

to cause sharp pain or a stinging sensation

The iodine burned his cut.

to consume rapidly, esp. to squander

He burned energy as if he never heard of resting.

Slang . to suffer losses or be disillusioned in business or social relationships

She was burned by that phony stock deal.

Slang . to cheat or rob.

to record data on (a CD or DVD).

Chemistry . to cause to undergo combustion; oxidize.

to damage through excessive friction, as in grinding or machining; scorch.

Metallurgy . to oxidize (a steel ingot), as with a flame.

British . to scald (a wine, esp. sherry) in an iron container over a fire.

Cards . to put (a played or rejected card) face up at the bottom of the pack.

Slang . to disclose the identity of (an undercover agent, law officer, etc.)

to burn a narcotics detective.

a burned place or area

a burn where fire had ripped through the forest.

Pathology . an injury usually caused by heat but also by abnormal cold, chemicals, poison gas, electricity, or lightning, and characterized by a painful reddening and swelling of the epidermis (first-degree burn), damage extending into the dermis, usually with blistering (second-degree burn), or destruction of the epidermis and dermis extending into the deeper tissue with loss of pain receptors (third-degree burn).

slow burn.

the process or an instance of burning or baking, as in brickmaking.

a forest or brush fire.

the firing of a rocket engine.

Slang . a swindle. ?

burn down, to burn to the ground

That barn was struck by lightning and burned down.

burn in, Photography . (in printing) to expose (one part of an image) to more light by masking the other parts in order to darken and give greater detail to the unmasked area. Also, print in. Compare dodge ( def. 2 ) .

burn off, (of morning mist) to be dissipated by the warmth of the rising sun.

burn on, to weld lead with lead.

burn one up, Informal . to incite to anger

That attitude burns me up.

burn out,

to cease functioning because something has been exhausted or burned up, as fuel or a filament

Our light bulbs burned out.

to deprive of a place to live, work, etc., by reason of fire

They were burned out and had to live with relatives.

to wear out; exhaust; be worn out; become exhausted.

burn up,

to burn completely or utterly

The papers burned up in a minute.

Informal . to become angry

He burns up at the mention of her name.

burn one's bridges (behind one). bridge ( def. 21 ) .

burn oneself out, to exhaust one's energy, ideas, etc.

through overwork or intemperance

They feared that he would burn himself out or break down.

burn the midnight oil, to work, study,etc.

until late at night

to burn the midnight oil before final exams.

burn the or one's candle at both ends, to be excessively active or immoderate

as by leading an active social life by night and a busy work life by day

You can't burn the candle at both ends and hold onto a job.

verb

cool , extinguish , put out , quench , smother , wet , stifle , subdue , aid , help

verb

bake , be ablaze , blaze , brand , broil , calcine , cauterize , char , combust , conflagrate , cook , cremate , enkindle , flame , flare , flash , flicker , glow , heat , ignite , incinerate , kindle , light , melt , parch , reduce to ashes , rekindle , roast , scald , scorch , sear , set a match to , singe , smoke , smolder , toast , torch , wither , bite , hurt , pain , smart , sting , tingle , be angry , be aroused , be inflamed , be passionate , be stirred up , boil , breathe fire , bristle , desire , eat up * , fume , lust , rage , seethe , simmer , smoulder , yearn , beat , bilk , chisel , cozen , deceive , defraud , gyp , overreach , ream , swindle , take , trick , use , gleam , incandesce , radiate , shine , swelter , inflame , enrage , incense , infuriate , madden , provoke , blow up , boil over , explode , flare up , foam , bubble , churn , ferment , anger , braze , brew , brown , cheat , consume , deflagrate , fire , gutter , incremate , oxidize , raze , sizzle , skin , squander , sterilize , sun , tan , waste

phrasal verb

give out , run down

noun

char , scorch , sear , singe