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burn out

Meaning in simple English, pronunciation and examples

Pronunciation: US /ˌbɝn ˈaʊt/ · UK /ˌbɜːn ˈaʊt/

burn out means: To become too mentally or physically tired to continue because of too much work or stress.

verb

BECOME EXHAUSTEDB2

To become too mentally or physically tired to continue because of too much work or stress.

  • You will burn out without rest.
  • Years of constant pressure burned her out.
  • Many nurses burned out during the crisis.

How to use it: burn yourself out (Do not burn yourself out working every weekend.); burn someone out (The constant overtime burned him out.)

Similar words: exhaust oneself, wear oneself out

Common phrases: burn out at work, burn out someone

STOP WORKINGB2

To stop working because a part has been damaged by heat or long use.

  • The bulb burned out.
  • Our old motor has finally burned out.
  • Will leaving it on all night burn it out?

How to use it: burn something out (Too much current can burn the motor out.)

Similar words: fail, blow

Common phrases: burn out suddenly, burn out a motor

STOP BURNINGB1

To stop burning because there is nothing left for the fire to use.

  • The candle burned out.
  • We waited for the fire to burn out.
  • These logs will burn out before morning.

Similar words: go out

Common phrases: burn out completely, burn out overnight

DESTROY WITH FIREB2

To destroy a building or its inside with fire.

  • The fire burned out the garage.
  • Flames burned out three shops overnight.
  • The attackers tried to burn the building out.

How to use it: burn something out (The blaze burned the house out.)

Similar words: gut, destroy by fire

Common phrases: burn out a building, burn out something

DESTROYED BY FIREB2

If something burns out, fire destroys its inside or all of it.

  • The car burned out.
  • The empty house burnt out during the night.
  • Only a metal shell remained after the tank had burned out.

Similar words: burn up

Common phrases: burn out completely, burn out overnight

REACH RADIATION LIMITC2

To expose a worker to so much radiation that they cannot safely do more work involving radiation.

  • The reactor repairs burned out several workers.
  • Repeated radiation exposure had burned out the entire repair crew.
  • They rotated staff to avoid burning anyone out.

How to use it: burn someone out (The reactor work burned the welders out.)

Common phrases: burn out workers, burn out someone

Questions about burn out

What does burn out mean?

To become too mentally or physically tired to continue because of too much work or stress.

What is burn out in other languages?

Türkçe: tükenmek · Español: agotarse · Français: s’épuiser · Deutsch: ausbrennen · Italiano: esaurirsi · 日本語: 燃え尽きる

How do you pronounce burn out?

In American English /ˌbɝn ˈaʊt/; in British English /ˌbɜːn ˈaʊt/.

How do you use burn out in a sentence?

You will burn out without rest. Years of constant pressure burned her out.

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