sunburned

sunburned — adjective

1. used to describe skin that turns red and hurts, or becomes very dark, when someo

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

used to describe skin that turns red and hurts, or becomes very dark, when someone stays in bright sunlight for too long

Example

Beatriz came back from the beach with sunburned shoulders and a peeling nose.

sunburned + body part (shoulders, nose)

The doctor told Minh to put cold water on his sunburned arms for relief.

infinitive of purpose: for relief

Common collocations
  • get sunburned
  • badly sunburned
  • sunburned + body part (shoulders, back, arms, nose, face, neck)
  • sunburned skin
Synonyms
  • sunburnt

    same meaning, the common British spelling variant

  • tanned

    focuses only on the brown colour, with no suggestion of pain or damage

  • reddened

    focuses on the colour change without necessarily implying pain or damage

Antonyms
  • pale

    skin colour before sun exposure, without any brown or red tones

  • fair

    describes naturally light-coloured skin that easily gets sunburned

Usage Note

American English usually uses 'sunburned'; British English also uses the variant form 'sunburnt'. When the meaning is merely 'very tanned' (without pain or redness), the word is informal and may sound humorous.

Common Mistakes

I got sunburned on holiday and now I look beautifully brown.
I got a suntan on holiday and now I look beautifully brown.
'sunburned' suggests damaged, sore skin; for a healthy brown colour, use 'suntanned' or 'tanned'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe changes to the skin caused by the sun, but their connotations differ. 'Sunburned' (and the British variant 'sunburnt') is the most direct term, covering both painful red skin and, informally, a very deep tan. 'Tanned' is the purely positive term — it describes an attractive brown colour without any suggestion of damage or discomfort. 'Burnt' is more informal and general; it can refer to skin damaged by the sun or by heat, and often carries a stronger sense of injury. 'Reddened' is a neutral, purely descriptive word focusing on the colour change itself, without specifying whether the skin also hurts. For example: 'Her shoulders were reddened after an hour in the garden, but she did not feel any pain.'

sunburnt ↗tanned ↗burnt ↗reddened

Common collocations

Nouns

  • sunburned skin
  • sunburned shoulders
  • sunburned arms
  • sunburned back
  • sunburned face
  • sunburned nose
  • sunburned neck

Adverbs

  • badly sunburned
  • severely sunburned
  • slightly sunburned

Phrases

  • get sunburned
  • sunburned from the sun

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Formed by combining the Old English word 'sunne' (sun) with 'burned', the past tense of 'burnan' (to be on fire). The compound has been used in English since the 1500s to describe skin affected by strong sunlight.