burnt to a cinder

burn (someone or something) to a cinder

1. To burn something, typically when cooking it, to the extent that it is completely charred and blackened. I forgot about the bread I'd put in the oven and burned it to a cinder.
2. To burn someone severely (typically referring to sunburn). Often used in passive constructions. If you lay on the beach all day without any sunscreen, you'll get burned to a cinder.
See also: burn, cinder
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

burnt to a cinder (or crisp)

completely burnt through, leaving only the charred remnant.
See also: burnt, cinder
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • burn (someone or something) to a cinder
  • burn (someone or something) to a crisp
  • burn to a cinder
  • burn to a crisp
  • burned to a cinder
  • cinder
  • clip (something) out of (something)
  • clip out of
  • end in
  • end in (something)
References in classic literature
The King screamed aloud in agony, and when his wife, the Snow-daughter, who had taken refuge from her brother in the next room, hurried to him, the King lay dead on the ground burnt to a cinder. When the Snow-daughter saw this she turned on her brother and flew at him.
Yellow Fairy Book
we shall be burnt to a cinder; we were baked through long ago.' So she took the bread-shovel and drew them all out.
we shall be burnt to a cinder; we were baked through long ago,' cried the loaves as before.
Fairy Tales
Once Jean adjusts to the gentle ebb and flow of daily life at the home and rebuilds bridges that were burnt to a cinder, she rediscovers her passion for performance.
QUARTET (12A) Run with a [...]
Devizes fire station commander Philip Flowers said of the culprit: "It was either burnt to a cinder or it escaped through a small hole in the corner of the shed, but I imagine it perished and went to bunny heaven."
Ginger snaps
Last summer one of my neighbours was working a night shift and he came back to find his car gone and van burnt to a cinder.'
'BRING GANGS TO THE COURTS'
Nobody was hurt but everything in my bag was burnt to a cinder.
Dear Gerrie: LIGHTER TERROR
"Some post in the box was burnt to a cinder but as all the incidents have been late at night, not much post has been in the box."
Postal arson
MANY years ago, when I first started carrying a donor card, it was because I didn't like the alternative of my organs being eaten by worms or burnt to a cinder.
DEAR GERRIE: LETTER OF THE DAY - RECYCLING OUR BODIES