burn up

To be completely destroyed by fire or heat.

• The dry leaves burned up.
• The meteor burned up before reaching the ground.
• Everything in the shed burned up during the fire.

Similar words: burn away, go up in smoke

Common phrases: burn up completely, burn up quickly

To destroy something completely using fire or heat.

• The fire burned up our tent.
• He burned the old letters up in the stove.
• The engine burns up fuel very quickly.

How to use it: burn something up (The fire burned the curtains up.)

Similar words: burn, incinerate

Common phrases: burn up something, burn up paper

To have a very high body temperature because you are ill.

• The baby is burning up.
• He was burning up with a fever last night.
• Feel her forehead; she’s burning up again.

Similar words: have a high fever

Common phrases: burn up overnight, burn up again

To feel extremely hot or have skin that feels hot and sore.

• I’m burning up in this coat.
• We were burning up in the crowded room.
• Her face was burning up after hours in the sun.

Similar words: swelter, overheat

Opposites: cool down

Common phrases: burn up inside, burn up outside

To make someone very angry or annoyed.

• That rude comment really burned me up.
• It burns her up when people cheat.
• Does their unfair treatment burn you up too?

How to use it: burn someone up (His constant excuses burn me up.)

Similar words: anger, annoy, infuriate

Opposites: calm

Common phrases: burn up someone, burn up drivers

To feel very angry or annoyed.

• He was burning up inside.
• She burned up with anger after the insult.
• Are you still burning up over what they said?

How to use it: burn up over something (She was burning up over the unfair decision.)

Similar words: fume, seethe

Opposites: calm down

Common phrases: burn up inside, burn up over something