sunburn
Americannoun
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sunburns
plural
verb (used with or without object)
noun
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Technical name: erythema solare. inflammation of the skin caused by overexposure to the sun
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another word for suntan
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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sunburntadjective
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unsunburnedadjective
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unsunburntadjective
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well-sunburnedadjective
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well-sunburntadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of sunburn
Vocabulary lists containing sunburn
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.
See Examples For:
"As a result, many apples are dropping from the trees prematurely, remaining very small, or suffering from sunburn damage," the agency said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
She had taken a photo of her burned skin; Miller claims that that was a sunburn.
From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026
Zinc oxide is widely used in mineral sunscreen because it blocks UVA rays, which contribute to skin aging, as well as UVB rays, which cause sunburn and increase the risk of skin cancer.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026
While reaching 7 in late May isn't unheard of, it is rare and means that the time taken to get sunburn is significantly reduced.
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
“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
It provides broader spectrum protection than other ingredients, shielding skin from both UVA rays—which penetrate deep into the skin, causing premature aging—and UVB rays, which cause sunburns.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
Although many people associate UV light with sunburns and skin damage, it plays an important role in numerous technologies.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 26, 2026
Camp counselor gigs that paid in bug spray and sunburns.
From Salon ● May 26, 2025
Heat-related illnesses can range from sunburns and heat rashes to more dangerous conditions such as heat exhaustion and heatstroke, according to the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2023
When I returned to our fly, evening having fallen, I found Dr. Trefusis applying cold tea to his sunburns.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
In the park, a sunburned figure itches an arm cast; another slumps on a bench, picking at his eyes.
From Slate ● May 10, 2026
He’d minnowed through sunburned madmen on winding Alpine passes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2025
Some are asking for help and advice, others actually want to show off their badly sunburned bodies.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2025
But then he spots a sunburned civilian on the inside of the checkpoint.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 17, 2025
The Union commander, a tall blond sunburned man named John Buford, rode up the long slope to the top of the hill, into the cemetery.
From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara
"There is one thing we all agree on, that you've got to avoid sunburning and avoid overexposure," he said.
From Reuters ● Apr. 19, 2010
If thou canst love a fellow of this temper, Kate, whose face is not worth sunburning, that never looks in his glass for love of anything he sees there, let thine eye be thy cook.
From The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
“Dinny! how can you!” cried Jack, angrily, as he saw the tears start into his brother’s eyes, and that in spite of the sunburning he turned haggard and pale.
From Off to the Wilds Being the Adventures of Two Brothers by Henri Théophile Hildibrand
“An’ did ye see the murthering baste?” cried Dinny, who looked white through his sunburning.
From Off to the Wilds Being the Adventures of Two Brothers by Henri Théophile Hildibrand
It is so desirable to make outbuildings neat and clean, and so important to keep trees from sunburning, etc., that a durable whitewash as cheaply and easily made as possible is very important.
From One Thousand Questions in California Agriculture Answered by Edward J. (Edward James) Wickson
Dogs and cats can get sunburnt - especially if they are light-coloured or have thin patches of fur.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2025
We depend on our cells being able to divide and multiply, whether it's to replace sunburnt skin or replenish our blood supply and recover from injury.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 11, 2024
Legs tucked underneath me as my head lolled to the side, my whole body buzzed with sunburnt warmth and fatigue from a day of walking through echo-y museum hallways and cobblestoned streets across Paris.
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2023
Mom is claiming that getting sunburnt is a necessary condition for spending all day in the sun.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 15, 2022
His arms were sunburnt and peeling, scrawny to look at but all muscle.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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