“burn out”是一个常用的英语短语,核心含义是“耗尽、耗尽能量/功能”,具体解释和用法需结合语境(物体、人、火焰等)细分:
指因过热、过载或长时间使用导致内部元件损坏,无法正常工作。
不及物用法(主语是设备):
The air conditioner burned out during the heatwave.(空调在热浪中烧坏了。)
My laptop’s battery burned out after 5 years of use.(我的笔记本电池用了5年就报废了。)
被动语态:
The fuse was burned out by a power surge.(保险丝因电压突增被烧坏了。)
最常见的人文语境用法,指人因长期高压、过度工作或重复劳动,耗尽了体力、热情或动力,甚至出现心理/生理疲惫。
不及物用法(主语是人):
After working 12-hour days for 6 months, she finally burned out.(连续6个月每天工作12小时后,她终于累垮了。)
Many doctors burn out from the constant stress of emergency rooms.(许多医生因急诊室的持续压力而倦怠。)
搭配:
burn out from/by sth:因某事耗尽
He burned out from the pressure of meeting monthly sales targets.(他因完成月度销售目标的压力而筋疲力尽。)
burn out doing sth:做某事导致耗尽
She burned out trying to balance work, kids, and graduate school.(她因同时兼顾工作、孩子和研究生学业而累垮。)
指火焰因燃料耗尽而慢慢熄灭,留下灰烬。
例子:
The campfire burned out by midnight, so we wrapped up and went to bed.(篝火半夜燃尽了,我们收拾好去睡觉。)
Don’t leave the candle unattended—it might burn out on its own.(别让蜡烛无人看管,它可能会自己燃尽。)
引申为“失去热情或动力”,常指原本热爱的事因过度投入或重复而变得乏味。
例子:
I used to love playing the piano, but I burned out after practicing 4 hours a day for competitions.(我以前很爱弹钢琴,但为了比赛每天练4小时后,热情耗尽了。)
Their relationship burned out after years of constant fighting.(他们的关系在多年争吵后耗尽了(变得冷淡)。)
名词形式:burnout(注意拼写,无连字符),指“倦怠;耗尽”,常见搭配:
job burnout(工作倦怠)、student burnout(学生倦怠)、creative burnout(创作枯竭)。
Burnout is a serious issue for people in high-stress careers.(倦怠是高压职业人群的严重问题。)
区分近义短语:
burn out:侧重“内部耗尽”(设备烧坏、人累垮、热情消退);
burn up:侧重“烧毁、烧光”(外部火焰烧毁物体),如The fire burned up the entire house.(大火烧毁了整栋房子。)
“burn out”的核心是“从内部耗尽能量/功能”,无论是设备、人还是抽象的热情,都强调“因过度使用或压力而无法继续”。掌握不同语境下的用法,就能准确理解和使用这个短语啦!