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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, burn, 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

  • burningly adverb
  • nonburning adjective
  • unburning adjective

Etymology

Origin of burning

First recorded before 1000; Middle English brenning, Old English byrnende; 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.

The fire was still burning as of 6:30 a.m.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

That means the company anticipates burning $85 billion that year even after almost doubling sales from the prior year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

After hours spent in the thick pollution-choking parts of northern Thailand, Pon Doikam gets home and blows her burning nose to find blood clots spattered across the tissue.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

It also taught me how to build a family and how to let go without burning everything down.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

My feet are burning; my throat is dry; my stomach growls with hunger.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

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.