adj · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ɪnˈsɪnəɹət/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:/ɪnˈsɪnɚeɪt/
US:/ɪnˈsɪnjɚeɪt/
UK:/ɪnˈsɪnəɹeɪt/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:IH2 N S IH1 N ER0 EY2 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Reduced to ashes by burning; thoroughly consumed.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To destroy by burning.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: burn, forsweal
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To annihilate (not necessarily by burning).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
cause to undergo combustion
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
burn garbage
The car burns only Diesel oil
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: burn
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: change integrity
5
verb
Meaning 5
become reduced to ashes
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
The paper incinerated quickly
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: burn down, burn up, go up
History
Etymology
From Latin incinerātus, perfect participle of incinerō (“to burn into ashes”), from cinis (“ashes”).
Across languages
Translations
39 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
изгарям
(izgarjam)
— destroy by burning
Bulgarian:
кремирам
(kremiram)
— destroy by burning
Bulgarian:
изпепелявам
(izpepeljavam)
— destroy by burning
Catalan:
incinerar
— destroy by burning
Chinese Mandarin:
焚化
(fénhuà)
— destroy by burning
Chinese Mandarin:
燃燒 /燃烧
(ránshāo)
— destroy by burning
Dutch:
verbranden
— destroy by burning
Finnish:
polttaa
— destroy by burning
Finnish:
tuhkata
— destroy by burning
French:
incinérer
— destroy by burning
German:
verbrennen
— destroy by burning
German:
niederbrennen
— destroy by burning
Greek:
αποτεφρώνω
(apotefróno)
— destroy by burning
Ancient Greek:
ἀποτεφρόω
(apotephróō)
— destroy by burning
Hungarian:
eléget
— destroy by burning
Japanese:
焼却する
(shōkyaku suru)
— destroy by burning
Japanese:
燃やす
(moyasu)
— destroy by burning
Korean:
소각(燒却)하다
(sogakhada)
— destroy by burning
Korean:
태우다
(tae'uda)
— destroy by burning
Malay:
menunu
— destroy by burning
Māori:
tūmata
— destroy by burning
Polish:
spopielać
— destroy by burning
Polish:
spopielić
— destroy by burning
Polish:
spalać
— destroy by burning
Polish:
spalić
— destroy by burning
Portuguese:
incinerar
— destroy by burning
Russian:
сжига́ть
(sžigátʹ)
— destroy by burning
Russian:
сжечь
(sžečʹ)
— destroy by burning
Russian:
креми́ровать
(kremírovatʹ)
— destroy by burning
Russian:
испепеля́ть
(ispepeljátʹ)
— destroy by burning
Russian:
испепели́ть
(ispepelítʹ)
— destroy by burning
Slovene:
sežgati
— destroy by burning
Slovene:
sežigati
— destroy by burning
Spanish:
incinerar
— destroy by burning
Swedish:
förbränna
— destroy by burning
Turkish:
yakmak
— destroy by burning
Ukrainian:
згоряти
(zhorjaty)
— destroy by burning
Vietnamese:
thiêu
— destroy by burning
Yiddish:
פֿאַרברענען
(farbrenen)
— destroy by burning
