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to burn

to burn

291 9.9
To kill someone by tying them to a stake and setting them on fire
  • verb
  • /bɜrn/
  • NSFW
translation icon : quemar en la hoguera
  • You'll rue the day you burned me alive for being a witch.
  • burned at the stake
  • burned alive
  • burned to death

And they were basically burned at the stake, you know.

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Examples

Synonyms

to execute
vsto burn
  • Formal
294 6.1

To put someone to death as a legal punishment

specifies this killing by a historical method of setting someone on fire
to torch
vsto burn
76 6.5

To set fire to something on purpose

focuses on lawful killing by setting someone on fire rather than criminal destruction
to ignite
vsto burn
66 4.0

To make something start burning

is about legal killing by tying a person and setting them on fire
to put to death
vsto burn
  • Offensive
46 7.6

To kill someone as a legal punishment

narrows that idea to a specific historical form that sets a victim on fire
to burn up
vsto burn
27 3.7

To be completely destroyed by fire

describe general destruction by fire, not a legal killing method
to burn at the stake
vsto burn
  • NSFW
12 9.8

To tie a person to a stake and burn them as punishment or to strongly criticize them in public

is a shorter verb with the same historical legal killing sense
to incinerate
vsto burn
8 7.4

To burn until it turns to ash

is a specific legal killing method that kills by setting someone on fire
to set ablaze
vsto burn
5 4.8

To make something start burning

refers to legal killing by tying someone and setting them on fire historically
to set aflame
vsto burn
1 5.1

To make something start burning

focuses on legal killing by tying someone and setting them on fire historically
to set alight
vsto burn
  • UK
1 4.2

To make something start burning

means legal killing by tying someone and setting them on fire

Antonyms

337 1.0

To release someone or something that is held

77 3.5

Decide not to hurt someone even though you could

Idioms

to burn in hell
  • Offensive
38 9.6

Say that you want someone to suffer forever after they die

12 9.8

To tie a person to a stake and burn them as punishment or to strongly criticize them in public

6 5.1

Work or study late at night to finish something

Money makes someone want to spend it quickly

to feel the burn
  • Informal
5 8.0

To have a strong burning feeling in the muscles during hard exercise

To work late at night and early in the morning so you become very tired

to burn in effigy
  • Offensive
2 8.9

Burn a dummy or picture of someone in public to show strong anger

1 8.1

Lose money or get hurt because of a mistake you make

1 7.7

To end a relationship or opportunity so you cannot use it again

dad burn
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A mild phrase people say to show annoyance without using strong swear words

8.7

Make a party very lively and exciting

Phrasal Verbs

121 3.0

To destroy a building or object completely by fire

27 3.7

To be completely destroyed by fire

24 4.7

Stop working, especially things like lights or fuses, because they get too hot from too much use

22 3.4

To use energy from the body or fuel when you move

8 3.4

Use up energy by physical activity

6 3.2

Become used up by fire or slowly disappear over time from heat and light

5 3.0

Use coal as fuel to make heat or electricity

to burn rubber
  • Informal
5 7.0

Drive a car very fast so the tires spin and smoke

3 4.6

To light up suddenly with a strong flame or bright light

1 5.6

Clear land of plants by burning them

to burn down
  • Jargon
1 3.9

To reduce work left in a project

to burn in
  • Specialized
1 6.9

Run new devices for a while to make sure they work well

to burn time
  • Informal
7.5

To pass time by doing something not useful while you wait

Compounds

11 2.4

A dark spot on skin or cloth made when something hot touches it

third-degree burn
  • Specialized
11 4.8

A very serious injury that destroys all skin layers can cause numbness and needs medical treatment

second-degree burn
  • Specialized
9 3.4

A skin injury that causes painful blisters and redness

A small mark a cigarette makes on skin or clothes

4 3.9

An area of skin rubbed and hurt by a rough cord

burn center
  • Specialized
3 3.9

A hospital unit that treats people with serious burns

burn rate
  • Specialized
1 6.5

The speed a company spends money each month

first-degree burn
  • Specialized
1 3.4

A mild injury to the top layer of the skin that causes redness and pain without blisters

burn bag
  • Formal
1 7.9

A strong locked bag for holding secret papers to be burned

burn rate
  • Jargon
1 7.4

The speed tokens are permanently removed from circulation

A plant with thick spiny leaves that has a cooling gel for sunburn called Aloe vera

An injury caused when electricity passes through the body and damages skin or tissue

5.2

A skin scrape you get when you fall or slide on a road

A film or book that builds tension slowly and ends with a big moment

A change that happens slowly over a long time

Surface Forms

burn infinitive
burned past
burned past participle
burning present participle
burns third person singular
burnt past
burnt past participle

Etymology

Burn comes from the old English bærnan meaning 'to set on fire', and in history people were punished by being 'burned' at the stake, so the word kept the meaning of killing by fire.