burn out — stop burning or working
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutraloccasional
To stop burning, shining, or working because of being used for too long or damaged.
Say it like a native
Textbook The light bulb ceased to function after extended use.
Native The bulb's burned out.
'Burn out' is the everyday verb for a bulb or fuse dying; 'ceased to function' is formal.
Pattern: burn out (no object) / burn something out (object)
In use
- The light bulb burned out, so we need to replace it.technology
- During my presentation, the projector burned out, which made it difficult to show my slides.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ The bulb is burnt down.
✓ The bulb is burnt out.
A bulb 'burns out' (stops working); 'burn down' is for buildings destroyed by fire.
Common collocations
burn out (bulb/engine)— the bulb, the fuse, the motor, completely
Don't confuse it
Not the same as 'break down', which usually means to stop working suddenly, not from overuse.
Related
- burn out (become exhausted) — Another meaning of 'burn out' is 'become exhausted'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.