burned out

IPA/ˌbɜːnd ˈaʊt/
IPA/ˌbɝːnd ˈaʊt/

burned out — adjective

1. describes a building, vehicle, or other structure that has been seriously damage

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

describes a building, vehicle, or other structure that has been seriously damaged or destroyed by fire, leaving only a ruined shell or frame.

Example

The old factory on River Road was completely burned out after the electrical fire.

completely + burned out (collocation)

Firefighters searched the burned out apartment building but found no one inside.

Common collocations
  • burned out building
  • burned out car
  • burned out factory
  • burned out house
  • burned out warehouse
  • burned out shell
  • completely burned out
Synonyms
  • gutted by fire

    stronger and more dramatic; often used for buildings where the interior is destroyed

  • fire-damaged

    broader range; can describe minor damage, not just complete destruction

  • charred

    focuses on the blackened surface rather than the structural destruction

Antonyms
  • undamaged

    not affected by any harm

  • intact

    completely untouched and in one piece

Grammar Patterns

burned out + noun (attributive)

noun + be + burned out (predicative)

Usage Note

Typically describes physical structures such as buildings, vehicles, factories, and houses. Not used for people or animals when referring to fire damage. The attributive form comes before the noun ('a burned out car'), while the predicative form follows a linking verb ('the car was burned out').

Common Mistakes

The candle burned out after an hour.
The burned out car was towed from the scene.
'burned out' as an adjective describes fire damage to structures, not a flame naturally going out; the verb phrase 'burn out' means a flame stops burning.
He felt burned out from the fire.
The burned out building was condemned after the fire.
For a person exhausted from overwork, use sense 2 instead.

2. feeling extremely tired, ill, or unable to continue because of working too hard

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

feeling extremely tired, ill, or unable to continue because of working too hard or dealing with too much stress over a long period — for example, a nurse after months of double shifts, or a student at the end of exam season.

Example

After working eighty-hour weeks for months, Dr. Okonkwo felt completely burned out.

completely + burned out (common intensifier)

Mei-Lin took two weeks off because she was burned out from studying for her exams.

burned out from [cause] (pattern)

Common collocations
  • feel burned out
  • get burned out
  • become burned out
  • completely burned out
  • totally burned out
  • burned out employee
  • burned out worker
  • burned out student
  • burned out from
  • burned out nurse
Synonyms
  • exhausted

    more general; can describe short-term or long-term tiredness

  • worn out

    less formal; can describe both people and objects

  • drained

    focuses on emotional or mental energy being completely used up

Antonyms
  • energized

    feeling full of energy and ready to work

  • refreshed

    rested and restored after a break or sleep

Grammar Patterns

person + be + burned out (predicative)

burned out + worker / employee / student (attributive)

Usage Note

Common in work and academic contexts. Often paired with intensifiers like 'completely' or 'totally'. Frequently followed by 'from' to indicate the cause ('burned out from working'). Can be used both predicatively ('she is burned out') and attributively ('burned out workers'). The attributive use often appears with plural nouns referring to groups of people.

Common Mistakes

The machine is burned out.
The factory workers are burned out after the long shift.
For machines or electronics that stop working, use 'burned out' only for fire damage (sense 1) or use 'worn out' / 'broken down'.
I am burned out after running one mile.
I am burned out after months of working twelve-hour days.
This sense requires long-term exhaustion, not just temporary physical tiredness after a short activity.

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • feel burned out
  • get burned out
  • become burned out

Prepositions