1 B1 neutral
To be completely destroyed or consumed by fire or intense heat.
"The letter burned up in seconds when she held it to the candle flame."
inseparable
burn up
B1 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To be completely destroyed by fire or intense heat; to make someone very angry; or (of a spacecraft) to disintegrate from atmospheric friction.
In plain English
To be completely destroyed by fire, to make someone very angry, or to disintegrate in the atmosphere.
What does "burn up" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To make someone very angry or irritated.
"It really burns me up when people talk over others in a meeting."
separable
3 B2 neutral
(Of a spacecraft or meteorite) to disintegrate from friction when re-entering the Earth's atmosphere.
"Most of the debris will burn up harmlessly as it re-enters the atmosphere."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To burn upward/completely until all is consumed by flames.
Actually means
To be completely destroyed by fire, to make someone very angry, or to disintegrate in the atmosphere.
Usage tip
The 'make angry' sense is common in informal American English. The 'disintegrate on re-entry' sense is used in scientific and space contexts. The literal combustion sense is widely understood.
Words that pair with "burn up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
rocket satellite anger patience fuel debris
How to conjugate "burn up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
burn up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
burns up
he/she/it
Past simple
burned up
yesterday
Past participle
burned up
have + pp
-ing form
burning up
continuous
Hear "burn up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "burn up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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