burn yourself

Meanings

1. 1phraseidiom

   To hurt your own skin or flesh with heat, fire, steam, chemicals, or the sun.

   Grammar: The object is always a reflexive pronoun matching the subject: he burned himself, we burned ourselves.

   Patterns

   • burn yourself on something
   • burn yourself with something
   • burn yourself while doing something

   Be careful with that pan — you'll burn yourself.

   She burned herself on the steam from the kettle.

   He burned himself badly while lighting the barbecue.

2. 2phraseidiomfigurative

   To harm your own career, reputation, or chances by your own careless actions.

   Grammar: Figurative use; the 'burning' is damage to something abstract, not to skin.

   Patterns

   • burn yourself out
   • burn yourself with someone
   • burn yourself by doing something

   If you insult the client, you'll burn yourself with the whole team.

   He burned himself by lying on the application form.

3. 3phraseidiomfigurative

   To work so hard for so long that you become completely exhausted and unable to continue.

   Grammar: Usually in the phrase 'burn yourself out'; the stress falls on 'out'.

   Patterns

   • burn yourself out
   • burn yourself out doing something

   Don't burn yourself out before the exams even start.

   She burned herself out working nights for a year.

Common combinations

burn yourself on a hot pan

I burned myself on a hot pan while cooking dinner.

burn yourself badly

He burned himself badly on the campfire.

burn yourself out

Take a break or you'll burn yourself out.

be careful not to burn yourself

The soup is boiling — be careful not to burn yourself.

burn yourself with boiling water

She burned herself with boiling water from the kettle.

Synonyms and how they differ

scald yourself

Use this specifically for hot liquid or steam; 'burn yourself' is the broader word that also covers fire, hot metal, and chemicals.

singe yourself

This means only a slight burn on the surface of hair or cloth, much milder than 'burn yourself'.

Word family

burn verb

To be on fire, or to damage something with heat.

burner noun

The part of a stove or lamp that produces a flame or heat.

burning adjective

Very hot, or feeling very hot, as in 'a burning sensation'.

sunburn noun

Red, sore skin caused by too much sun.

Commonly confused: burn yourself or burn down? burn yourself or burn out?

Practice

Make it your own

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

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