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-synonyms: go up in smoke; see also Thesaurus:catch fire
   • The rocket may burn up on reentry.

   Synonyms:

   go up in smoke, catch fire, catch on fire, combust, conflagrate, fire, go up in flames, ignite, light, spunk

2. (transitive) To destroy by burning.
   • Before daylight, when the dragon flew home to sleep, he had burned up the hall and even the throne of the Geatish king.1961, Norma Lorre Goodrich, “Beowulf”, in The Medieval Myths, New York: The New American Library, page 41
3. (transitive) To anger; to annoy.
   • Near-synonyms: incense; see also Thesaurus:enrage, Thesaurus:annoy
   • His thoughtlessness really burns me up.

   Synonyms:

   incense, affront, aggravate, anger, antagonize, awrath, cheese off, cross, embitter, envenom

4. (intransitive) To be angry or annoyed.
   • One morning […] we stood around the office talking and laughing, having a good time, when one man, Tim, made a job ^([sic]) about "fags." Right then we had to leave, and soon we were warming up our cars on the street. Naturally I was burning up about the comment, and decided to do something about...1980 February 9, Bruce MacDonald, “Cultural Preparation”, in Gay Community News, volume 7, number 28, page 4
5. (intransitive) To be or feel overly hot or inflamed.
   • Near-synonyms: steam, swelter
   • It's the middle of summer; I know it's going to be burning up outside.

   Synonyms:

   steam, swelter

   1. (intransitive, specifically) To experience a high fever.
      • She felt the child's forehead and discovered that he was burning up!
6. (dated) To ride a motorcycle or other vehicle at high speed.
7. (intransitive) To use up too much energy when first bowled and to therefore not finishing strongly.

   Synonyms:

   roll out, burn out