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to burn

to burn

50 9.9
To kill someone by tying them to a stake and setting them on fire
  • verb
  • /bɜrn/
  • NSFW
: 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
330 6.1

To put someone to death as a legal punishment

specifies this killing by a historical method of setting someone on fire
to burn up
vsto burn
86 3.7

To be completely destroyed by fire

describe general destruction by fire, not a legal killing method
to torch
vsto burn
85 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
69 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
52 7.6

To kill someone as a legal punishment

narrows that idea to a specific historical form that sets a victim on fire
to set ablaze
vsto burn
10 4.8

To make something start burning

refers to legal killing by tying someone and setting them on fire historically
to burn at the stake
vsto burn
  • NSFW
9 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 set aflame
vsto burn
3 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
3 4.2

To make something start burning

means legal killing by tying someone and setting them on fire
to incinerate
vsto burn
1 7.4

To burn until it turns to ash

is a specific legal killing method that kills by setting someone on fire

Antonyms

544 1.0

To release someone or something that is held

100 3.5

Decide not to hurt someone even though you could

Idioms

to burn in hell
  • Offensive
44 9.6

Say that you want someone to suffer forever after they die

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

to feel the burn
  • Informal
8 8.0

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

7 5.1

Work or study late at night to finish something

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

Money makes someone want to spend it quickly

to burn in effigy
  • Offensive
3 8.9

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

3 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

1 8.1

Lose money or get hurt because of a mistake you make

8.7

Make a party very lively and exciting

Phrasal Verbs

291 3.0

To destroy a building or object completely by fire

86 3.7

To be completely destroyed by fire

52 4.7

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

35 5.6

Clear land of plants by burning them

15 3.2

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

12 3.0

Use coal as fuel to make heat or electricity

12 4.6

To light up suddenly with a strong flame or bright light

12 3.4

Use up energy by physical activity

to burn rubber
  • Informal
7 7.0

Drive a car very fast so the tires spin and smoke

6 3.4

To use energy from the body or fuel when you move

to burn time
  • Informal
2 7.5

To pass time by doing something not useful while you wait

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

Compounds

third-degree burn
  • Specialized
17 4.8

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

14 2.4

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

second-degree burn
  • Specialized
14 3.4

A skin injury that causes painful blisters and redness

A small mark a cigarette makes on skin or clothes

burn center
  • Specialized
5 3.9

A hospital unit that treats people with serious burns

5 3.9

An area of skin rubbed and hurt by a rough cord

burn rate
  • Specialized
2 6.5

The speed a company spends money each month

first-degree burn
  • Specialized
2 3.4

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

burn bag
  • Formal
2 7.9

A strong locked bag for holding secret papers to be burned

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

1 5.2

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

A change that happens slowly over a long time

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

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

burn rate
  • Jargon
7.4

The speed tokens are permanently removed from circulation

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.