burn

/bɜːn/ (bre, ipa) · /bɜːrn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbərn/ (ame, mw) · /bɝːn/ (ame, ipa)

burn — 動詞

1. to suffer harm or be ruined when fire, hot objects, chemicals, or strong heat to

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

燒傷；燒毀

因火或高溫而受傷或被毀

to suffer harm or be ruined when fire, hot objects, chemicals, or strong heat touch a person or thing; also, to cause such harm to someone or something.

例句

Marcus burned the old letters in the metal bin behind his garage.

Marcus 把那些舊信件丟進車庫後面的鐵桶裡燒掉。

transitive: burn + concrete object (paper, wood)

Lina burned her finger on the hot pan while making pancakes.

Lina 做鬆餅時不小心被熱鍋燙傷了手指。

burn + body part: typical injury frame

同義詞
  • scorch

    surface burn that leaves a mark; less destruction

  • char

    burn until black; emphasises the dark surface left behind

  • incinerate

    destroy completely by fire; formal/technical

反義詞

文法句型

burn + object

subject + burn (intransitive)

用法筆記

Works both ways: the thing destroyed can be the subject (intransitive) or the object (transitive). Distinguish from sense 2 (food cooked too long) and sense 8 (be on fire / produce flames) — sense 1 focuses on the damage caused to a person or thing.

常見錯誤

❌I burned with the iron my shirt.
✅I burned my shirt with the iron.
💡object goes right after 'burn'.

2. to spoil food during cooking by leaving it on the heat slightly longer than mean

2.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

燒焦；煮焦

因煮太久或火太大而毀掉食物

to spoil food during cooking by leaving it on the heat slightly longer than meant to, so the dish is partly damaged or scorched but not turned to charcoal; food may also burn in this way by itself.

例句

Carlos burned the rice because he forgot to lower the gas.

Carlos 忘了把瓦斯轉小，結果把飯煮焦了。

transitive: cook + leave too long

The toast burned while Maya was answering the phone in the hallway.

Maya 在走廊接電話時，烤吐司燒焦了。

intransitive: food as subject

同義詞
  • scorch

    lighter version: the food browns too much, not totally ruined

  • overcook

    wider sense; food may be ruined without going black

文法句型

burn + food noun

food + burn (intransitive)

用法筆記

Frequent objects are everyday food nouns: rice, toast, onions, pizza, the dinner. Distinguish from sibling sense 7 (food turned fully charcoal-black and inedible): sense 2 covers a partial mishap where the dish is hurt but often still rescuable; sense 7 means the food is destroyed.

常見錯誤

❌The cake was burned from me.
✅I burned the cake.
💡English uses an active object, not 'burned from someone'.

3. to have skin become red and painful from spending too long under strong sunshine

3.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

曬傷

皮膚因烈日而變紅、受損

to have skin become red and painful from spending too long under strong sunshine; the sun can also do this to a person.

例句

Lina burns easily, so she packs sunscreen for every beach trip.

Lina 很容易曬傷，所以每次去海邊都會帶防曬乳。

intransitive: person as subject of burn

The midday sun burned Marcus's shoulders during the long hike.

正午的太陽把 Marcus 的肩膀曬傷了，他爬山一爬就是好幾個小時。

transitive: the sun as subject

同義詞
  • tan

    skin turns brown, not red — usually wanted, not damage

  • redden

    go red; broader, not only from sun

文法句型

sun + burns + person

person + burns (intransitive)

用法筆記

Subject is either the sun or the person. Frequent collocates: 'burn easily', 'burn quickly', 'burn red'. Different from sense 11 (face/skin feels very hot) — sense 3 is about real damage to skin from the sun, not just a hot feeling.

常見錯誤

❌I was burned from the sun.
✅I got burned by the sun.' / 'The sun burned me.
💡use 'by' for the agent.

4. to leave someone with deep emotional pain, often after they trusted a person who

4.動詞及物C1
釋義

被坑；被背叛

因信任他人而受到背叛或欺騙的傷害

to leave someone with deep emotional pain, often after they trusted a person who then betrayed or disappointed them — usually said about love, friendship, or business deals.

例句

Maya was badly burned by her last business partner and now signs nothing without a lawyer.

Maya 上次被她的事業夥伴狠狠坑過，現在沒有律師她什麼合約都不簽。

passive: be burned by + person

After his cousin lied about the rent money, Daniel felt completely burned.

表哥謊報房租之後，Daniel 覺得自己徹底被擺了一道。

同義詞
  • betray

    stronger: break someone's trust deliberately

  • hurt

    general; 'burn' adds the idea of being foolish for trusting

文法句型

be burned by + person/event

用法筆記

Almost always passive: 'be burned (by someone)' or 'get burned'. Common in talk about money deals and relationships. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 4 is figurative emotional damage; literal fire is not involved.

常見錯誤

❌He burned my feelings.
✅I got burned (by him).
💡the person who is hurt is the subject, not the feelings.

5. to put someone to death by fastening them to a wooden post and setting fire unde

5.動詞及物C1
釋義

燒死；處火刑

把人綁在木柱上點火處死

to put someone to death by fastening them to a wooden post and setting fire underneath — a punishment used long ago against people accused of crimes such as witchcraft.

例句

In 1431, soldiers burned Joan of Arc at the stake in the market square of Rouen.

1431 年，士兵在 Rouen 的市集廣場上將 Joan of Arc 綁在木樁上燒死。

burn + person + at the stake

Many women in 17th-century Europe were burned after being accused of witchcraft.

十七世紀的歐洲，許多女性因為被指控行使巫術而被燒死。

passive: be burned

同義詞
  • execute

    general formal word; burning is one method

  • immolate

    literary; killing by fire, often as sacrifice

文法句型

burn + person + (at the stake)

be burned alive

用法筆記

Almost always with 'at the stake' or 'alive', and almost always in historical contexts. Modern speakers rarely use this sense outside history class, novels, or films.

常見錯誤

❌They burned him in the stake.
✅They burned him at the stake.
💡fixed preposition is 'at'.

6. to set fire to a house, factory, or other building so that the whole structure i

6.動詞及物B2
釋義

焚毀（建物）

縱火將整棟建築燒掉

to set fire to a house, factory, or other building so that the whole structure is lost.

例句

Soldiers burned every village along the coast during the long war.

在那場漫長的戰爭中，士兵把沿岸每一座村莊都燒了。

burn + buildings as object

The old cinema on Park Street was burned by vandals last weekend.

Park Street 上那家舊電影院上週末被流氓縱火燒了。

passive: be burned + by + agent

同義詞
  • torch

    informal; suggests fire was set on purpose

  • raze

    destroy completely; not always by fire

反義詞

文法句型

burn + building (often passive)

用法筆記

Object is usually a building or settlement (house, church, village, factory). Often paired with 'to the ground' for total destruction. Compare 'burn down' (phrasal verb) — same idea but with a clear stress on full collapse of the building.

常見錯誤

❌They burned down to the ground the house.
✅They burned the house to the ground.
💡the object goes right after 'burned'.

7. to ruin food on heat until it is fully charred — completely blackened, crisp thr

7.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

燒焦黑；烤焦

食物加熱過久而完全焦黑、無法食用

to ruin food on heat until it is fully charred — completely blackened, crisp through and through, and no longer fit to eat; food can also burn in this way on its own.

例句

Lina forgot the toast and burned both slices to a crisp.

Lina 忘了吐司，把兩片都烤到焦黑。

transitive: burn + food (overcook to black)

The garlic burned in the pan while Marcus answered the phone.

Marcus 接電話的時候，平底鍋裡的大蒜燒焦了。

intransitive: food + burn (food as subject)

同義詞
  • char

    stronger; emphasizes the black surface left behind

  • scorch

    lighter damage — surface browning, not fully black

  • incinerate

    extreme; reduces something to ash, not used for food in normal kitchens

文法句型

burn + food noun

food noun + burn

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 2: sense 7 is the extreme outcome — the food is carbonised, charcoal-black through and through, and thrown away — while sense 2 covers a partial mishap where the dish is damaged but often still edible. Common collocates: 'burned to a crisp', 'burned black'.

常見錯誤

❌I burned the soup until it was black.
✅I burned the bottom of the soup pot.
💡soup itself rarely turns black; what burns is what touches the hot surface.

8. if wood, coal, a candle, or another fuel burns, flames rise from it and it gives

8.動詞不及物B1
釋義

燃燒；著火

起火並發出火焰與熱

if wood, coal, a candle, or another fuel burns, flames rise from it and it gives off heat and smoke as the material is used up.

例句

The campfire burned all night beside the tents.

營火在帳篷旁邊燒了一整晚。

intransitive: subject is the fire/fuel

Dry pine branches burn faster than damp oak logs.

乾燥的松枝比潮濕的橡木燒得更快。

comparative pattern with fuel as subject

同義詞
  • blaze

    stronger — large, bright flames

  • flame

    verb form, stresses visible flames rather than the fire itself

  • smoulder

    opposite end — burning slowly without open flames

反義詞

文法句型

[fuel/object] + burn

用法筆記

Subject is typically the fuel or object on fire (wood, candle, building, fire itself), not a person. For people or things damaged by fire, use sense 1 (verb_b1, 'be hurt or destroyed by fire').

常見錯誤

❌The match is burning my finger right now.
✅The match is burning, and the flame is hurting my finger.
💡sense 8 needs the flame/fuel as subject, not a body part.

9. to use up fuel such as petrol, coal, or wood, or body energy such as calories or

9.動詞及物B2
釋義

燃燒；消耗

燃燒燃料或熱量以產生熱、光或動力

to use up fuel such as petrol, coal, or wood, or body energy such as calories or fat, by turning it into heat, light, or movement.

例句

Old buses burn diesel and pump black smoke into the street.

舊公車燒柴油，把黑煙排到街上。

burn + fuel (engines/vehicles)

Maya burns about 400 calories on her morning run.

Maya 早上跑步大約消耗 400 大卡。

burn + calories (body energy use)

同義詞
  • consume

    more formal; covers any kind of using-up, not only fuel

  • use up

    everyday phrasal verb; less specific than 'burn'

  • expend

    formal; common in writing about calories or resources

反義詞
  • save

    for fuel or energy

  • store

    of calories/fat in the body

文法句型

burn + fuel/energy noun

用法筆記

Object is a fuel (diesel, coal, wood, gas) or a body-energy unit (calories, fat, kilojoules). Distinct from sense 8 — sense 9 highlights the consumption of fuel for a purpose, not the visible fire itself.

常見錯誤

❌I burned a lot of energies at the gym today.
✅I burned a lot of energy at the gym today.
💡'energy' is uncountable in this sense.

10. if a lamp, candle, or similar light source burns, it is switched on or lit and i

10.動詞不及物B2
釋義

點亮；發光

燈或燭火亮著、持續發光

if a lamp, candle, or similar light source burns, it is switched on or lit and is shining steadily.

例句

A small lamp burned on the desk while Carlos finished his essay.

Carlos 寫作業的時候，桌上有一盞小燈亮著。

burn = (lamp) be lit and shining

Lights were still burning on the top floor of the law firm at two in the morning.

凌晨兩點，那家律師事務所頂樓的燈還亮著。

lights + burning (after-hours work imagery)

同義詞
  • shine

    general; works for any light, including reflected light

  • glow

    softer, warmer light without sharp brightness

  • be lit

    neutral, factual; common in everyday speech

反義詞
  • go out

    of a lamp, candle, or fire

文法句型

[lamp/star/light] + burn

用法筆記

Subject is a light source (lamp, candle, star, fire seen as light). Slightly literary or descriptive in tone. For modern electric lighting, 'be on' or 'be lit' is more common in speech.

常見錯誤

❌My phone screen is burning right now.
✅My phone screen is on right now.
💡'burn' for light fits flames and traditional lamps, not screens.

11. if your skin, eyes, or throat burns, or something makes it burn, you feel a stro

11.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

刺痛；發燙

皮膚或部位有強烈灼熱刺痛感

if your skin, eyes, or throat burns, or something makes it burn, you feel a strong hot, painful, stinging sensation — for example, after chilli, sun, or shouting too long.

例句

Maya's cheeks burned with embarrassment after she dropped the cake.

Maya 弄掉蛋糕後，臉頰因為尷尬而發燙。

burn + with [emotion] for body-temperature feeling

The chilli sauce burned Carlos's tongue for nearly ten minutes.

辣椒醬讓 Carlos 的舌頭灼痛了將近十分鐘。

transitive: substance + burn + body part

同義詞
  • sting

    sharper, briefer pain; common for cuts and insect bites

  • smart

    slightly literary; sharp surface pain, often eyes

  • tingle

    milder; not painful, just a hot or fizzy feeling

文法句型

[body part] + burn

[substance] + burn + [body part]

用法筆記

About a sensation, not actual fire damage. Subject is a body part (cheeks, eyes, throat, skin), or the cause is the subject and the body part is the object. For real fire injury, use sense 1 (verb_b1).

常見錯誤

❌My hand burns' (when meaning a real flame burn).
✅My hand is burned' or 'I burned my hand.
💡bare 'my hand burns' suggests only the stinging feeling, not an injury.

12. to feel a very strong wish to do something, or a powerful emotion such as anger

12.動詞不及物C1
釋義

渴望；激動

強烈想做某事或情緒高漲

to feel a very strong wish to do something, or a powerful emotion such as anger or longing — used in writing or careful speech to make the feeling sound intense.

例句

Lina was burning to tell her sister the good news.

Lina 急著想把好消息告訴姊姊。

burn + to-infinitive: strong desire

The young soldiers burned with anger at the unfair orders.

年輕士兵對於那道不公平的命令滿腔怒火。

burn with + emotion noun (anger/passion)

同義詞
  • yearn

    more emotional, often about long-distance longing

  • long

    neutral and very common; 'long to do something'

  • ache

    literary; suggests painful longing

反義詞
  • dread

    to strongly not want something

文法句型

burn + to-infinitive

burn with + [emotion]

用法筆記

Slightly formal or literary. Two main shapes: 'burn to + infinitive' (strong wish to act) and 'burn with + emotion' (anger, shame, desire, longing). Avoid in casual conversation — 'really want to' or 'be dying to' fits better there.

常見錯誤

❌I burn watching that movie tonight.
✅I am burning to watch that movie tonight.
💡needs the to-infinitive pattern.
❌He was burning of anger.
✅He was burning with anger.
💡the preposition is 'with', not 'of'.

13. to save songs, photos, films, or other digital files onto a blank CD or DVD usin

13.動詞及物B2
釋義

燒錄

把資料寫入光碟

to save songs, photos, films, or other digital files onto a blank CD or DVD using a computer drive that writes the data with a laser.

例句

Marcus burned his wedding photos onto a DVD for his parents.

Marcus 把婚禮照片燒錄成 DVD 送給爸媽。

burn + object + onto + disc

Lina spent the afternoon burning a mix CD of her favourite songs.

Lina 花了一個下午把自己最愛的歌燒錄成一張混音 CD。

burn + a + disc (cognate object)

同義詞
  • copy

    general term; doesn't imply optical disc or laser writing

  • rip

    opposite direction — extract from a CD onto a computer

  • record

    broader; can refer to any medium, not just discs

文法句型

burn + something + onto/to + disc

burn + a disc

用法筆記

Object is typically digital content (music, photos, video, files); the disc is introduced with 'onto' or 'to'. Largely tied to optical media — sounds dated outside that context, since most file transfer now uses USB or cloud storage.

常見錯誤

❌I burned a USB stick with the photos.
✅I copied the photos to a USB stick.
💡'burn' in this sense applies to CDs and DVDs, not flash drives.
❌She burned the songs in a CD.
✅She burned the songs onto a CD.
💡use 'onto' or 'to', not 'in'.

14. to use up money quickly and without much care, often more than is sensible, so t

14.動詞及物C1
釋義

揮霍；花光

很快把錢花掉，往往帶有浪費意味

to use up money quickly and without much care, often more than is sensible, so that it is gone before you realise.

例句

Diego burned half his salary on concert tickets in a single weekend.

Diego 一個週末就把半個月的薪水揮霍在演唱會門票上。

burn + amount + on + something

The startup was burning cash so fast that it ran out before launch.

那家新創公司燒錢燒得太快，還沒上線就把資金花光了。

informal: burning cash (rapid spending)

同義詞
  • blow

    informal; very similar — 'blow your savings' suggests one big reckless purchase

  • squander

    more formal; stronger note of waste and lost opportunity

  • splurge

    informal; positive or self-indulgent rather than disapproving

反義詞
  • save

    to keep money for later use rather than spending it

  • hoard

    to hold on to money tightly, often more than is needed

文法句型

burn + (amount of) money

burn + through + money

用法筆記

Informal; carries a mild note of disapproval — the speaker thinks the spending was wasteful or reckless. Object is almost always money, cash, savings, or a sum. Distinguish from sense 9 (USE ENERGY): that sense is about fuel or calories being consumed, not money.

常見錯誤

❌He burned a lot of time on the project.
✅He spent a lot of time on the project.
💡this sense is for money; for time, use 'spend' or 'waste'.
❌She burned the money to charity.
✅She donated the money to charity.
💡'burn money' implies wasteful or rapid spending, not generous giving.

burn — 名詞