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.

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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

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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

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

Cross-country skiers talk about expending energy in terms of burning matches.

From The Wall Street Journal

China's youth are facing an unemployment rate that sits at more than 15% and burning out from a gruelling work culture, yet sharing too much of their pessimism online could alert internet censors.

From BBC

From keeping the fire burning when you live 4,000 miles apart, to "non-negotiables" like always sharing a bed, the results have been fascinating.

From BBC

One high-profile incident occurred in October, when rescuers were shown failing to open the doors of a burning electric vehicle in the southwestern city of Chengdu.

From Barron's

For the past six months, Brian Kennedy has been living next to an underground fire burning at temperatures of up to 500C.

From BBC

Related Words

• fiery
• flaming
• gleaming
• glowing
• hot
• scorching
• searing