sunburn

American  

[suhn-burn] / ˈsʌnˌbɜrn /

noun

1. inflammation of the skin caused by overexposure to the sun or a sunlamp.

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verb (used with or without object)

sunburned, sunburnt, sunburning

1. to affect or be affected with sunburn.

   An hour in the sun sunburned me severely. I sunburn easily.

sunburn British  

/ ˈsʌnˌbɜːn /

noun

1. Technical name: erythema solare.  inflammation of the skin caused by overexposure to the sun

2. another word for suntan

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Other Word Forms

• sunburnt adjective
• unsunburned adjective
• unsunburnt adjective
• well-sunburned adjective
• well-sunburnt adjective

Etymology

Origin of sunburn

First recorded in 1520–30; sun + burn ¹

Example Sentences

The backlog of afflictions in the waiting room include severe sunburn…

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

“I like to think of this as a sunburn: The first day you get it, it’s really bad. Day after day, it does get a little bit better, but there’s still a burn.”

From MarketWatch • Jan. 26, 2026

According to the NHS, sunbeds are more dangerous than natural sunlight because they deliver concentrated UV radiation, which increases the risk of skin cancer, premature ageing, sunburn and eye damage.

From BBC • Dec. 30, 2025

Even after the researchers accounted for age, sex, history of sunburn, and family history of melanoma, indoor tanning was still associated with a 2.85-fold increase in melanoma risk.

From Science Daily • Dec. 15, 2025

“I’d still like to know how someone manages to get a sunburn on a day like this.”

From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs