From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishburn out phrasal verb1 FIRESTOP HAPPENINGif a fire burns out or burns itself out, it stops burning because there is no coal, wood etc left He left the fire to burn itself out.2 be burnt outBURN if a building or vehicle is burnt out, the inside of it is destroyed by fire The hotel was completely burnt out. Only the walls remained. We passed several burnt out cars.3 burn something ↔ out to remove something by burning it The cancer cells are burnt out using a laser beam.4 TIREDto work so hard over a period of time that you become unable to continue working because you are tired, ill, or unable to think of any new ideas It’s a high-pressure job and you could burn out young.be/get burnt out He was almost burnt out by the time he was 21.burn yourself out She’s in danger of burning herself out. → burnout(1)5 ENGINEDAMAGEif an engine or electric wire burns out or is burnt out, it stops working because it has been damaged by getting too hot The plugs are wired so that if one burns out, the others will still start the engine.burn something ↔ out I think you’ve burnt out one of the gaskets.6 AIRCRAFTTTATTWif a rocket or jet burns out, it stops working because all its fuel has been used → burnout(2) → burn→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
burn itself out• It's only a small fire - we can leave it to burn itself out.• Below a given voltage, the compressor in a refrigerator burns itself out.• If this is allowed to go on, it will burn itself out.• In time, like all corruptible passions of the flesh, this one would simply burn itself out.• Firefighters are hoping the blaze will burn itself out before dawn.• Even the sun had to burn itself out, one day.• His love for Eloise had been unhealthy, red-hot, bound to burn itself out sooner or later.be burnt out• As a result many people are burnt out.• This time more than 20 cars were burnt out.• One lorry was burnt out and a fire officers car was also damaged.• Garage fire: One car was burnt out and two others damaged in a garage blaze near Northallerton.• Instead of resting in dressing-rooms between shows, the Girls were burnt out coping with double and tripling.• All over Bosnia, dwellings are burnt out, uninhabitable, or simply not there any more.burn yourself out• Below a given voltage, the compressor in a refrigerator burns itself out.• I've seen people burn themselves out.• If this is allowed to go on, it will burn itself out.• In time, like all corruptible passions of the flesh, this one would simply burn itself out.• Our feelings seem almost too powerful, the sort that burn themselves out.• Lynda La Plante is in grave danger of burning herself out and it's no laughing matter.• Even the sun had to burn itself out, one day. 