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Showing results for sunburn. Search instead for sunburned.

sunburn

American  
[suhn-burn] / ˈsʌnˌbɜrn /

noun

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


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

"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

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of sunburn

First recorded in 1520–30; sun + burn 1

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

The book is clear-eyed about the dangers of sunburn.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 16, 2026

His eyes linger on the deep red permanent sunburn of Apa’s neck from mowing lawns all day.

From "A Step from Heaven" by An Na

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

The desert can be hot and rough, but Giveon’s soothing baritone is a balm capable of healing sunburns and broken hearts.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 9, 2026

There are currently claims that seed oils cause cancer, gut issues and depression, or can leave you with chronic inflammation or make you more vulnerable to sunburns.

From Salon Jul. 29, 2024

Current Mr. O’Doyle was much larger, with less hair and red peeling skin from sunburns.

From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles

In the park, a sunburned figure itches an arm cast; another slumps on a bench, picking at his eyes.

From Slate May 10, 2026

Four hours later, sunburned and more winded than I like to admit, I reached a hamlet where I later hitched a ride back to the city.

From Los Angeles Times Nov. 28, 2025

He’d minnowed through sunburned madmen on winding Alpine passes.

From The Wall Street Journal Oct. 10, 2025

You should not put petroleum jelly or ice on sunburned skin.

From BBC Jun. 30, 2025

Maybe you notice that your bathing suit straps are just a little too tight on your sunburned shoulders or that the sun is too bright in your eyes.

From "The Thing About Jellyfish" by Ali Benjamin

"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

“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

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

"You only need to get sunburnt once every two years to triple your risk of getting skin cancer."

From BBC Aug. 3, 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 skin is filthy and sunburnt, his clothes tattered.

From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner

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