burnt

burnt — verb

1. the form of burn used for completed past actions, and also after have, has, or h

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveA2
Definition

the form of burn used for completed past actions, and also after have, has, or had.

Example

By midnight, the candles had burnt down to short white stubs.

had burnt down

Omar burnt his hand when he lifted the pan too fast.

past simple: burnt + object

Common collocations
  • had burnt down
  • burnt his hand
  • were burnt
  • burnt the old notes

Grammar Patterns

burnt + object

have/has/had burnt

be burnt

Usage Note

Distinguish from adjective 1: this sense names the verb form, while the adjective describes the result. In American English, burned is often more usual as the verb form, but burnt is common in British English and still appears in passive forms.

Common Mistakes

The milk has burn on the stove.
The milk has burnt on the stove.
After has, use the past participle form.

burnt — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

For adjective 1, burnt is the broad everyday word. It can describe food, skin, paper, wood, or buildings after fire or strong heat. Charred is stronger and often suggests a surface turned black after serious burning. Scorched often means heat marked or partly damaged the surface, but not always completely ruined it. Singed is lighter still, and is common for hair, cloth, or feathers touched briefly by flame. Overcooked fits food only, and focuses on cooking too long rather than direct fire. A burnt pan may be black and damaged, scorched grass may recover, and overcooked rice is simply cooked too much.

charredscorchedsingedovercooked

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Burnt grew out of older forms of burn in Middle English. English later kept both burned and burnt, with burnt staying especially strong as an adjective and also remaining a verb form in British English. The word goes back to an Old English verb meaning to be on fire or to set something on fire.