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burn off

B1 neutral separable transitive
In simple words

To get rid of something by burning it, or to use up energy by exercising.

Literal meaning: To use fire to remove or eliminate something from a surface.

Meanings

1 B1 neutral

To use up calories, energy, or fat through physical exercise.

"She went for a long run to burn off the extra calories from the birthday cake."

Grammar: separable
2 B1 neutral

To remove vegetation, waste material, or a substance by burning.

"The farmers burned off the dry grass at the end of summer to prepare the fields."

Grammar: separable
3 B2 neutral

(Of mist, fog, or cloud) to be dispersed by the heat of the sun.

"The morning fog should burn off by about ten o'clock, leaving a clear sunny day."

Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes

The 'use up calories/energy' sense is very common in health and fitness contexts. The agricultural sense (burning off stubble or undergrowth) is also well established. The meteorological sense (mist or fog burning off in sunlight) is used in weather forecasting.

Commonly used with

calories energy fat fog stubble steam

Forms

Base
burn off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
burns off
he/she/it
Past simple
burned off
yesterday
Past participle
burned off
have + pp
-ing form
burning off
continuous

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