burn down

destroy a building completely by fire

B2

What does "burn sth down" mean?

To burn down means that a building or structure is completely destroyed by fire, leaving little or nothing standing. It can describe the fire happening on its own — the building burns down — or it can describe someone deliberately or accidentally causing the destruction. The phrase carries a strong sense of total or near-total destruction, not just minor fire damage. You'll find it in news reports, historical accounts, and everyday conversation. Both 'burned down' and 'burnt down' are correct past tense forms; 'burned down' is more typical in American English, while 'burnt down' is also common in British English.

Examples

How to use it

place / building + burn down

Used without an object when describing a building or structure being destroyed by fire on its own.

The old cinema in the town centre burned down last winter.

burn + object + down

Used when separating the verb and particle with a short noun phrase as the object.

The arsonist tried to burn the warehouse down overnight.

burn + pronoun + down

Pronouns must always go between 'burn' and 'down', never after 'down'.

Someone burned it down deliberately, according to investigators.

burn down + longer noun phrase

When the object is a longer noun phrase, it is more natural to place it after 'down' rather than between the verb and particle.

A group of protesters threatened to burn down the entire government complex.

be burned / burnt down

The passive form is natural and common, especially in news reports and historical writing.

Several villages in the region were burned down during the conflict.

Common Collocations

housebuildingfactorybarnvillagechurch

Common Mistakes

Pronoun placed after 'down'

When the object is a pronoun, it must go between 'burn' and 'down'. Placing it after 'down' is ungrammatical in English.

✗ They burned down it during the riots.
✓ They burned it down during the riots.
Confusing 'burn down' with 'burn out'

'Burn down' means a structure is completely destroyed by fire, while 'burn out' means a fire dies on its own without destroying the structure, or describes a person becoming exhausted. They are not interchangeable when talking about buildings.

✗ The factory burned out completely — nothing was left standing.
✓ The factory burned down completely — nothing was left standing.
Using present continuous for general destruction

The present continuous sounds unnatural for describing a completed or general event. Use the simple past, present perfect, or conditional instead. The present continuous is only natural if you are describing a fire that is actively happening right now.

✗ The barn is burning down every year in this story.
✓ The barn burns down every year in this story.

Usage

Both 'burned down' and 'burnt down' are correct past tense forms; 'burned down' is preferred in AmE and 'burnt down' is also common in BrE. This verb is neutral and suitable for both formal news writing and casual conversation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can 'burn down' be used without an object?

Yes — this is actually very common. You can say 'the house burned down' without mentioning who or what caused the fire. In this case, the building itself is the subject and no object is needed.

Is there a difference between 'burned down' and 'burnt down'?

Both are correct past tense forms of 'burn down'. 'Burned down' is the standard form in American English, while 'burnt down' is also widely used in British English. You can use either without making an error.

Does 'burn down' always mean total destruction?

It strongly implies total or near-total destruction of a structure. You wouldn't typically say a building 'burned down' if only a small part of it was damaged. For partial damage, it's more natural to say the building was 'damaged by fire' or 'partially destroyed'.

What kinds of things can 'burn down'?

The subject or object is almost always a structure or place — houses, barns, factories, churches, warehouses, villages, or even entire cities. It isn't typically used for small objects like paper or furniture, which belong to different fire-related expressions.

Can I use 'burn down' to talk about something in the past that was historically significant?

Absolutely — this is one of the most natural contexts for 'burn down', especially in the passive. Phrases like 'the library was burned down in the 18th century' or 'the original cathedral burned down during the war' are very typical in historical writing and news reports.

Related Phrasal Verbs

burn (sth) up

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