VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

burn out

verb·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌbɜːn ˈaʊt/
US/ˌbɝːn ˈaʊt/

Meanings

  1. verbphrasal verb

    To stop burning because the fuel has all been used up.

    Grammar: Used without an object: the fire burned out. The verb is intransitive here.

    Patterns

    • something burns out

    The campfire burned out before sunrise.

    Let the candles burn out safely on the table.

    The fire burns out quickly if you do not add wood.

  2. verbtransitive or intransitive

    To become exhausted in body and mind after a long period of too much work or stress.

    Grammar: No object: she burned out. With a reflexive object: she burned herself out.

    Patterns

    • burn out
    • burn yourself out

    Many nurses burn out after years of long shifts.

    He burned himself out by working every weekend.

    If you never rest, you will burn out before the project is finished.

  3. verbphrasal verb

    To stop working because of overheating or heavy use, as a motor, light bulb or fuse might.

    Grammar: Used about machines and parts, with no object: the motor burned out.

    Patterns

    • something burns out

    The bulb burned out with a loud pop.

    The engine burned out after the long climb.

    Heavy use eventually causes a fuse to burn out.

  4. verbtransitive

    To force people to leave their home or place of business by setting it on fire.

    Grammar: Takes an object: the gang burned them out.

    Patterns

    • burn someone out
    • burn someone out of something

    Raiders burned the settlers out of their village.

    The mob tried to burn the family out of their home.

    The farmers were burned out during the war.

Word forms

third person singularburns out
past tenseburned out / burnt out
past participleburned out / burnt out
-ing formburning out

Common combinations

burn out from overwork
She burned out from overwork and took a long vacation.
burn yourself out
Do not burn yourself out trying to do everything.
let a fire burn out
We let the bonfire burn out on its own.
a bulb burns out
A bulb burns out every few months in this hallway.
burn out quickly
Young talents can burn out quickly under pressure.

Synonyms and how they differ

fizzle out
Fizzle out describes something weakening to nothing, usually a plan or excitement, without the idea of using up fuel or energy through overwork.
wear out
Wear out is broader and means to become useless through use, without the idea of fire or intense stress.
collapse
Collapse suggests a sudden breakdown, whereas burn out is a slow draining of energy.
go out
Go out describes a flame or light ceasing, but does not say the fuel was used up.

Opposites

flare uprecharge

Word family

burnout noun
exhaustion from long stress
burnt out adjective
exhausted, or destroyed by fire
burned-out adjective
American spelling of burnt-out
burn verb
to be on fire or to damage by fire

Commonly confused: burn out or burn up?

burn out vs burn up

Burn up means to be destroyed completely by fire or heat, whereas burn out means the fire stops or a person runs out of energy.

Practice

After three years of working every weekend, Daniel finally ___.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “burn out”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words