burn one's fingers

verb

To harm oneself; to suffer consequences of one's actions.

“He burned his fingers in the stock market and has been timid about investing ever since.”

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Meanings

verbburn one's fingers (third-person singular simple present burns one's fingers, present participle burning one's fingers, simple past and past participle burned one's fingers or burnt one's fingers)

present singular third person burns one's fingers · participle present burning one's fingers · participle past burned one's fingers · past burned one's fingers · participle past burnt one's fingers · past burnt one's fingers

  1. idiomaticTo harm oneself; to suffer consequences of one's actions.

    He burned his fingers in the stock market and has been timid about investing ever since.

Translations

Finnish polttaa sormensa, polttaa näppinsä
  • polttaa sormensaharm oneself
  • polttaa näppinsäharm oneself
French se tirer une balle dans le pied
  • se tirer une balle dans le piedharm oneself
Russian обжига́ться, обже́чься
  • обжига́ться (obžigátʹsja)harm oneself
  • обже́чься (obžéčʹsja)harm oneself
Cite this entry
APA

burn one's fingers. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/burn%20one's%20fingers

MLA

“burn one's fingers.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/burn%20one's%20fingers. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “burn one's fingers,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/burn%20one's%20fingers.

Source: burn one's fingers on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.