sunburn

American

[suhn-burn] / ˈsʌnˌbɜrn /

noun

inflammation of the skin caused by overexposure to the sun or a sunlamp.

verb (used with or without object)

sunburned, sunburnt, sunburning

to affect or be affected with sunburn.

An hour in the sun sunburned me severely. I sunburn easily.

sunburn British

/ ˈsʌnˌbɜːn /

noun

Technical name: erythema solare. inflammation of the skin caused by overexposure to the sun
another word for suntan

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

sunburnt adjective
unsunburned adjective
unsunburnt adjective
well-sunburned adjective
well-sunburnt adjective

Etymology

Origin of sunburn

First recorded in 1520–30; sun + burn ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The old woman has deeply lined, sunburned skin and wears a stained apron over her dress.

From Literature

“I like to think of this as a sunburn: The first day you get it, it’s really bad. Day after day, it does get a little bit better, but there’s still a burn.”

From MarketWatch

The sunburn heat on the path was immediate and intense.

From Literature

Whispers were going around the sunburned, sleepy crowds huddled on their suitcases that there were no flights until Monday.

From The Wall Street Journal

According to the NHS, sunbeds are more dangerous than natural sunlight because they deliver concentrated UV radiation, which increases the risk of skin cancer, premature ageing, sunburn and eye damage.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023