# burned

/ˈbɝnd/ (US) · /bˈɜːnd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/burned
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. damaged by fire

verb · CEFR A2

the past tense of burn, used when fire or heat has damaged something.

For teachers: the past tense and past participle of 'burn', indicating the action of fire or heat consuming or damaging an object.

- The chef burned the toast because he was talking on the phone.
- The wildfire burned through thousands of acres of dry forest before the seasonal rains finally helped the crews contain the perimeter.

### 2. destroyed by heat

adjective · CEFR A2

describes something that has been damaged or destroyed by fire or very high heat.

For teachers: describing an object that has undergone combustion or thermal degradation.

- The burned wood from the campfire was still warm the next morning.
- Investigators examined the burned remains of the warehouse to determine if the structural failure was caused by the heat or the initial impact.

### 3. sunburned

adjective · CEFR B1

describes skin that is red and painful from spending too much time in the sun.

For teachers: referring to skin that has suffered erythema or inflammation due to overexposure to ultraviolet radiation.

- His shoulders were badly burned after a long day at the beach without a shirt.
- The patient presented with severely burned skin on her face and neck, necessitating the application of cooling gels and a strict avoidance of further sunlight.

### 4. emotionally exhausted

adjective · CEFR B2 · Informal

feeling very tired or having no energy left because of too much work or stress.

For teachers: experiencing a state of emotional, physical, or mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress; often used in the phrase 'burned out'.

- She felt completely burned after working sixty hours a week for three months.
- Many healthcare professionals felt burned by the end of the crisis, leading to a significant increase in early retirements across the sector.

## Examples

- I burned the toast this morning.
- The chef accidentally burned his hand on the hot stove while preparing the dinner rush.
- The ancient library was burned during the invasion, resulting in the irreparable loss of thousands of unique historical manuscripts.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.