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burning the roof

burning the roof

9.9
To have a wild, loud party with dancing and music
  • idiom
  • Slang
translation icon : fiesta a lo grande
  • Last night, we were burning the roof at Jake's party!

Examples

  • The club was absolutely burning the roof last night during the headline DJ's set.

  • Whenever they celebrate, they end up burning the roof well into the early hours.

  • Guests were dancing, laughing, and burning the roof at the New Year's Eve bash.

  • Are you ready for burning the roof this weekend?

  • The club was absolutely burning the roof with energy as everyone danced and sang along.

  • Guests were dancing, laughing, and burning the roof at the celebration under the stars.

  • Whenever they host a party, they always end up burning the roof until dawn.

Synonyms

to riot
vsburning the roof
  • Informal
4 7.1

To celebrate loudly and behave in a wild noisy way

describes a wild loud party without necessarily implying drunkenness
to whoop it up
vsburning the roof
  • Informal
3 8.8

To celebrate loudly with cheering and noisy fun

refers to holding or hosting a wild loud party rather than individual celebration
to burn the roof down
vsburning the roof
  • Informal
8.7

Make a party very lively and exciting

is about being at or running a wild loud party rather than creating atmosphere

Antonyms

44 4.6

Serious and sensible in behavior or tone

How Wild

burning the roof
  • Slang
9.9
party
1.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

burning + the + roof

The literal meanings of 'burning' and 'roof' point toward a physical fire, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would most likely interpret this literally rather than as 'having a great time.' The sense 'wild party' is a slang/metaphorical extension not transparently built from the parts and is unpredictable without prior exposure, so it should be treated as opaque.

Etymology

Burning the roof may come from a simple image: at a wild party people dance and shout so much that it feels like the roof is burning. That's why it now means 'having a great time' or 'holding a wild, loud party'.