burnt to a crisp

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phraseinformal

   Cooked or blackened by too much heat, so that the outside is hard and dry.

   Grammar: Used after be or get, and usually about food: The toast was burnt to a crisp.

   Patterns

   • be burnt to a crisp
   • get burnt to a crisp
   • be burned to a crisp

   I left the sausages on the grill too long and they were burnt to a crisp.

   The chicken came out burnt to a crisp, so we ordered a pizza instead.

   Check the bread — it will be burnt to a crisp if you leave it in that hot oven.

2. 2phrasefixed phraseinformalfigurative

   Very badly sunburned, with hot, red, painful skin.

   Grammar: Often used after get when talking about sun: I got burnt to a crisp on the beach.

   Patterns

   • get burnt to a crisp
   • be burnt to a crisp

   We fell asleep by the pool and got burnt to a crisp.

   His shoulders were burnt to a crisp after a day of surfing.

   Put on some sunscreen, or you'll be burnt to a crisp by noon.

Common combinations

burnt to a crisp

The bacon was burnt to a crisp and stuck to the pan.

get burnt to a crisp

We got burnt to a crisp on the first day of our holiday.

burn something to a crisp

She burned the rice to a crisp while answering emails.

be burnt to a crisp

By the time we took it out, the pie was burnt to a crisp.

completely burnt to a crisp

The marshmallows were completely burnt to a crisp.

Synonyms and how they differ

burnt

Simply means damaged by fire or heat; 'burnt to a crisp' is stronger and suggests the food is black and ruined.

charred

Describes something blackened on the surface by fire; it can sound more neutral or even positive for grilled food, while 'burnt to a crisp' is always negative.

overcooked

Means cooked too long, but the food may still be edible; 'burnt to a crisp' means it is black and dry.

Opposites

Word family

crisp adjective

Firm, dry, and easily broken, like a fresh apple or a potato chip.

crispy adjective

Pleasantly firm and dry on the outside, especially of fried food.

crispness noun

The quality of being firm, dry, and easily broken.

Commonly confused: burnt to a crisp or burnt to a cinder?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “burnt to a crisp”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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