Phrase guide

slash and burn

adj · noun · verb · 3 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

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1

adj

Meaning 1

Rough, coarse and lacking finesse, performed with little skill.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • His slash and burn approach to management resulted in few friends and many enemies.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A technique in agriculture where plant matter is roughly cut down and then burned over to prepare fields for the next crop.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To apply the slash and burn technique.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • We'll slash and burn this week and plant next.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

41 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: suoraviivainen — rough
  • Polish: nieokrzesany — rough
  • Arabic: القطع والحرق — technique
  • Breton: gounidigezh war zevadur — technique
  • Chinese Mandarin: 焚林开垦 — technique
  • Chinese Mandarin: 刀耕火種 /刀耕火种 (dāogēnghuǒzhòng) — technique
  • Czech: žďáření — technique
  • Danish: svedjebrug — technique
  • Dutch: brandlandbouw — technique
  • Dutch: hakken en branden — technique
  • Estonian: ale — technique
  • Estonian: alepõllundus — technique
  • Finnish: kaskiviljely — technique
  • Finnish: kaskeaminen — technique
  • French: brûlis — technique
  • French: culture sur brûlis — technique
  • Galician: roza — technique
  • Galician: estivada — technique
  • Galician: queima — technique
  • German: Brandrodung — technique
  • German: Schwenden — technique
  • Italian: debbio — technique
  • Italian: addebbiatura — technique
  • Japanese: 焼畑農業 — technique
  • Korean: 화전농업 (hwajeonnong'eop) — technique
  • Lithuanian: lydiminė žemdirbystė — technique
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: bråtebruk — technique
  • Polish: gospodarka żarowa — technique
  • Polish: system ogniowy — technique
  • Portuguese: coivara — technique
  • Russian: подсе́чно-огнево́е земледе́лие (podséčno-ognevóje zemledélije) — technique
  • Serbo-Croatian: posijeci i spali — technique
  • Spanish: roza y quema — technique
  • Spanish: artigaje — technique
  • Swedish: svedjebruk — technique
  • Welsh: torri a llosgi — technique
  • Finnish: kasketa — to apply the technique
  • Galician: cachar — to apply the technique
  • Galician: rozar — to apply the technique
  • Polish: wypalać żarem — to apply the technique
  • Polish: wypalić żarem — to apply the technique