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Definition of burning adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

burning

adjective
 
/ˈbɜːnɪŋ/
 
/ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/
[only before noun]
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  1. (of feelings, etc.) very strong; extreme
    • a burning desire to win
    • He's always had a burning ambition to start his own business.
  2. a burning issue/question a very important problem that requires immediate attention
    • one of the burning issues of the day
  3. (of pain, etc.) very strong and giving a feeling of burning
    • She felt a burning sensation in her throat.
    Synonyms painfulpainfulsore raw inflamed excruciating burning itchyThese words all describe something that causes you physical pain.painful causing you physical pain. Painful can describe a part of the body, illness, injury, treatment or death: Is your knee still painful?a series of painful injectionsa slow and painful death sore (of a part of the body) painful and often red, especially because of infection or because a muscle has been used too much:
    • a sore throat
    • Their feet were sore after hours of walking.
    raw (of a part of the body) red and painful, for example because of an infection or because the skin has been damaged:
    • The skin on her feet had been rubbed raw.
    inflamed (of a part of the body) painful, red and hot because of an infection or injury:
    • The wound had become inflamed.
    excruciating extremely painful. Excruciating can describe feelings, treatments or death but not parts of the body: an excruciating throat/​back/​knee. burning painful and giving a feeling of being very hot:
    • She felt a burning sensation in her throat.
    itchy giving an uncomfortable feeling on your skin that makes you want to scratch; having this feeling:
    • an itchy rash
    • I feel itchy all over.
    Patterns
    • sore/​inflamed/​itchy eyes
    • raw/​inflamed/​itchy skin
    • a painful/​an excruciating death
    • a painful/​burning sensation
    • excruciating/​burning pain
  4. very hot; looking and feeling very hot
    • the burning sun
    • her burning face
    Extra Examples
    • She was burning hot with embarrassment and guilt.
    • The boy's forehead was burning.
    • The skin of his forehead was burning.
    • They felt the burning heat of the sun on their backs.
  5. burning eyes (literary) eyes that seem to be staring at you very hard
See burning in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
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noun
 
 
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