burn up

See also: burnup

English

Etymology

From burn +‎ up. Compare Middle English upbrennynge, upbrennende (“burning up”, present participle), German Low German upbrannen (“to burn up”).

Verb

burn up (third-person singular simple present burns up, present participle burning up, simple past and past participle burned up or burnt up)

1. (intransitive) To catch fire and burn until destroyed.

   Near-synonym: go up in smoke

   Coordinate terms: burn away, burn down, burn off

   The rocket may burn up on reentry.

2. (transitive) To destroy by burning.

   Coordinate terms: burn away, burn down, burn off; fire up, light up

3. (transitive) To anger; to annoy.

   His thoughtlessness really burns me up.

4. (intransitive) To feel overly hot or inflamed.

   Near-synonym: steam

   Now that we've been walking awhile, I'm burning up in this coat! Time to take it off.

   1. (intransitive, specifically) To experience a high fever.

      She felt the child's forehead and discovered that he was burning up!

5. (dated) To ride a motorcycle or other vehicle at high speed.

   Coordinate term: tear it up

Translations

catch fire and burn until destroyed

• Cornish: kowlleski
• Greek:

  Ancient: καταφλέγομαι (kataphlégomai)

• Hungarian: elég (hu)
• Polish: popalić się pf

destroy by burning

• Greek:

  Ancient: καταφλέγω (kataphlégō)

• Hungarian: eléget (hu)
• Old English: onǣlan
• Polish: popalić pf

Noun

burn up (plural burn ups)

1. Misspelling of burnup.