Meaning

When someone "has been burned", they've been hurt, cheated or let down by someone they trusted, and now they're careful. The picture is a child who touches a hot stove once and never does it again. A friend who lent money and never got it back has been burned. So has someone whose partner lied to them, or a company whose supplier missed every deadline.

You'll mostly hear it in the present perfect, because the past experience explains the present caution: "She's been burned before, so she's slow to trust people." It also appears as "get burned": "Be careful with that deal. You could get burned."

It's informal but not slang, and you can use it at work, with friends and in serious talks about relationships. It's often a kind way to explain someone's behavior without judging them: they're not cold, they've been burned. The old saying "Once bitten, twice shy" carries the same idea.

In a conversation

CharlotteOmar
  1. Charlotte
  2. Omar
  3. Charlotte
  4. Omar
  5. Charlotte
  6. Omar

Say it out loud

Tap a sentence to hear it. Say it after the voice.

Check yourself

1Your friend says "My brother has been burned before." What does that tell you?
2Why do people often use "has been burned" when explaining someone's behavior?

Practice · 3 min

Listen, then repeat. In fast speech, "he's been" sounds like "heez-bin". Stress "burned".

Say it today

Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.