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Synonyms

burning

American  
[bur-ning] / ˈbɜr nɪŋ /

adjective

  1. aflame; on fire.

  2. very hot; simmering.

    The water was burning.

  3. very bright; glowing.

    She wore a burning red bathing suit.

  4. caused by or as if by fire, a burn, or heat.

    He had a burning sensation in his throat.

  5. intense; passionate.

    a burning desire.

  6. urgent or crucial.

    a burning question.

noun

  1. the state, process, sensation, or effect of being on fire, burned, or subjected to intense heat.

  2. the baking of ceramic products to develop hardness and other properties.

  3. the heating or the calcining of certain ores and rocks as a preliminary stage in various industrial processes.

burning British  
/ ˈbɜːnɪŋ /

adjective

  1. intense; passionate

  2. urgent; crucial

    a burning problem
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a form of heat treatment used to harden and finish ceramic materials or to prepare certain ores for further treatment by calcination

  2. overheating of an alloy during heat treatment in which local fusion or excessive oxide formation and penetration occur, weakening the alloy

  3. the heat treatment of particular kinds of gemstones to change their colour

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of burning

First recorded before 1000; Middle English brenning, Old English byrnende; see burn 1, -ing 1, -ing 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Part of SpaceX’s spending needs stem from its February acquisition of Musk’s startup xAI, which was burning through cash as it raced to catch up with competitors and build out huge data center projects.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

This ritual lasted an entire night and involved burning small figures made of wax and clay while an exorcist recited specific incantations.

From Science Daily • May 5, 2026

“Everybody burning cash—we just had a smaller pile to start with,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

The law in Northern Ireland states that the burning of vegetation such as heather, gorse, whin or fern may only be carried out between 1 September and 14 April.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

The morning air is sharp with the tang of burning wood, rubber, paint, sugar— whatever was in those warehouses along the river.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.