ash
gb/ˈæʃ/ us/ˈæʃ/
B1
English
~ 6800
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
powder left after burning
Soft gray powder that is left when something like wood or paper burns completely.
Usage pattern:
[something] is reduced to ash; ash from [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'ash' with 'smoke' or 'dust'. 'Ash' is the solid powder left after burning; 'smoke' is the gas you see in the air. Also, many uses are plural ('ashes'), but the material itself can be singular ('a pile of ash').
Synonyms
cinders (Usually refers to small, partly burned pieces, especially of coal or wood, not fine powder.)
Antonyms
unburned (Describes material that has not yet been burned and therefore has not turned into ash.)
Collocations
volcanic ash
|cigarette ash
|wood ash
|brush off the ash
|reduced to ash
|cold ash
Themes
nature
|science
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- A thin layer of ash covered the furniture after the fire.
- He tapped the cigarette, and ash fell onto the floor.
- The volcano threw ash high into the atmosphere, disrupting flights.
- We buried the hot coals under a pile of ash.
- She brushed the ash from her coat before going inside.
Learner examples
- The campfire went out and only ash was left.
- He dropped cigarette ash on the table.
- Volcanic ash fell on the town.
- There was ash on the ground after the house fire.
- She cleaned the ash out of the fireplace.
Noun
B2
entity
2
cremated human or animal remains
The powder that is left from a dead person’s or animal’s body after it is burned in a cremation.
Usage pattern:
scatter [someone’s] ashes; [someone’s] ashes are buried
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'ash' instead of 'ashes' for human remains. In this context, English almost always uses the plural 'ashes' (e.g., 'her ashes were scattered').
Synonyms
cremated remains (More formal and precise; common in professional or official contexts such as funeral services.)
Antonyms
body (Refers to the whole physical form before cremation, not reduced to ashes.)
Collocations
scatter the ashes
|cremated remains
|his ashes were buried
|keep the ashes
|ashes in an urn
|collect the ashes
Themes
life
|religion
|family
|health
Examples
- The family decided to scatter her ashes at sea.
- His ashes were placed in a small urn on the mantelpiece.
- After the ceremony, they took the ashes to his favorite mountain.
- She kept her father’s ashes in a wooden box in the bedroom.
- The will stated that his ashes should be buried next to his wife.
Learner examples
- They put his ashes in a special urn.
- Her family scattered her ashes on the lake.
- The man’s ashes were buried in the cemetery.
- We carried my grandfather’s ashes to the hill.
- She wanted her ashes to be thrown into the sea.
Noun
B2
entity
3
ash tree species
A kind of tall tree with many small leaflets on each leaf, called an ash tree.
Usage pattern:
an ash grows; an ash tree
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with the burned material meaning. Context with words like 'tree', 'forest', or 'leaves' almost always refers to the plant, not the powder from fire.
Synonyms
ash tree (Explicitly names it as a tree; used more often than 'ash' alone when first mentioning the species.)
Antonyms
shrub (A contrasting type of plant that is woody but smaller and bushier than a tree.)
Collocations
ash tree
|row of ash trees
|mature ash
|ash woodland
|ash dieback
|ancient ash
Themes
nature
|environment
Examples
- An old ash stood alone in the middle of the field.
- The path is lined with ash and oak on both sides.
- Many ash trees in the region have been killed by disease.
- They planted an ash in the garden to provide shade.
- The ash in our yard is over twenty meters tall.
Learner examples
- There is a big ash tree in front of my house.
- The park has many ash and maple trees.
- They planted an ash near the river.
- The old ash fell down in a storm.
- The ash trees lose their leaves in winter.
Noun
B2
entity
4
wood of the ash tree
The wood from an ash tree, used to make things like furniture, tools, and bats.
Usage pattern:
[something] is made of ash; ash wood
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'ash wood' is wood that has been burned. In this sense, 'ash' means wood from the ash tree, not wood that has turned into ash after fire.
Synonyms
hardwood (A general term for wood from broad-leaved trees; ash is one example, so this is broader and less specific.)
Antonyms
softwood (Wood from coniferous trees like pine; often softer and used differently from ash wood.)
Collocations
ash wood
|solid ash
|ash furniture
|ash flooring
|made of ash
|ash bat
Themes
materials
|technology
|work
|sports
Examples
- The table is made from solid ash.
- Ash is often used for tool handles because it is strong but flexible.
- They chose ash flooring for its light color and durability.
- The baseball bat is carved from ash.
- We ordered a custom ash desk from a local carpenter.
Learner examples
- This chair is made of ash.
- They used ash wood for the new floor.
- The bat is made from ash, not maple.
- He bought a light ash table for the kitchen.
- Ash is a strong wood for tools.
Noun
B2
property
5
pale gray color tone
A light gray color, like the color of ash from a fire, often used for hair color or paint.
Usage pattern:
ash [color] hair; an ash [shade]
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'ash blonde' means dirty or covered in ash. In this sense, 'ash' only describes a cool grayish color tone, not actual ash from fire.
Synonyms
gray (General name for the color; 'ash' is a specific cool, muted shade of gray.)
Antonyms
golden (Describes a warm, yellowish color, often used as the contrasting hair tone to cool 'ash' shades.)
Collocations
ash blonde
|ash brown
|ash gray
|ash tones
|ash hair color
|cool ash shade
Themes
appearance
|fashion
|arts_entertainment
|clothing
Examples
- She dyed her hair an ash blonde to reduce the redness.
- The walls were painted in a soft ash gray.
- Ash tones are popular in modern interior design.
- He prefers ash brown hair color to warmer shades.
- The stylist suggested an ash shade to make the color look more natural.
Learner examples
- She has ash blonde hair now.
- They painted the room a light ash gray.
- I like ash brown more than golden brown.
- This hair color is too warm; I want an ash color.
- The sofa is a soft ash color.
Verb
informal
C1
action
6
drop or knock off ash
To make the ash from a cigarette or cigar fall off, usually into an ashtray.
Usage pattern:
[someone] ashes [a cigarette] (into [something])
Common mistake:
Some learners use 'ash' as a verb for any kind of cleaning, which is incorrect. As a verb, 'ash' is almost only used with cigarettes, cigars, or similar things.
Synonyms
tap (In this context, means to hit the cigarette lightly so ash falls off; more general verb used for many actions, not only cigarettes.)
Antonyms
hold (If you only hold a cigarette and do not ash it, the ash stays attached instead of being dropped.)
Collocations
ash his cigarette
|ash into the tray
|forget to ash
|ash on the floor
|ash into the sink
|ash carefully
Themes
daily life
|health
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He casually ashed his cigarette into the plant pot.
- Please ash in the tray, not on the carpet.
- She leaned over to ash her cigar into the glass.
- The smoker kept ashing out the window while driving.
- He forgot to ash and burned a hole in his shirt.
Learner examples
- He ashed his cigarette into the ashtray.
- Please do not ash on the floor.
- She opened the window to ash outside.
- He forgot to ash and the ash fell on his pants.
- You should ash your cigarette more often.
Grammar
Dictionary form
ash
IPA
GB/ˈæʃ/
US/ˈæʃ/
Syllables & stress
ash (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (ash)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: ash
- Plural: ash, ashes
Verb
- Base: ash
- 3rd Person Singular: ashes
- Present Participle: ashing
- Past: ashed
Word family
Forms
ashes
noun
ashing
verb
ashed
verb
Core family
ashy
adjective
Related words
ashtray
noun
Advanced or less common
ashen
adjective
Expressions
Ash Wednesday
1/ˈæʃ wˈɛnzdˌeɪ/
fixed phrase
Christian holy day with ashes
The first day of Lent in the Christian church year, when some Christians go to church and receive a small cross of ash on their forehead.
Examples
- Many people attend church on Ash Wednesday to mark the beginning of Lent.
- On Ash Wednesday, the priest placed a cross of ash on each person’s forehead.
- She always gives up sweets for Lent starting on Ash Wednesday.
ashes to ashes, dust to dust
1/ˈæʃɪz tə ˈæʃɪz | dˈʌst tə dˈʌst/
fixed phrase
literary
traditional phrase at burials
A traditional phrase used at funerals that says the human body will return to the earth after death.
Examples
- The priest said, "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust" as the coffin was lowered.
- The words "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" are often heard in English-language funeral services.
- The phrase "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" reminds people that life is temporary.
reduce to ashes
1/ɹɪdˈus tə ˈæʃɪz/
fixed phrase
burn something completely
To burn something so completely that nothing is left except ash.
Examples
- The wildfire reduced the entire village to ashes.
- The old warehouse was reduced to ashes in less than an hour.
- The bomb reduced several buildings to ashes.
sift through the ashes
1/sˈɪft θɹˈu ðə ˈæʃɪz/
idiom
search slowly through remains
To look very carefully through what is left after something is destroyed, in order to find objects or information.
Examples
- Investigators sifted through the ashes to find the cause of the fire.
- They spent days sifting through the ashes of the burned house for family photos.
- Journalists are still sifting through the ashes of the scandal.
the ash heap of history
1/ðə ˈæʃ hˈip əv hˈɪstɚi/
idiom
formal
place for failed ideas in history
A way to talk about the past as a place where old, failed ideas or systems are left and forgotten.
Examples
- Some predicted that communism would end up on the ash heap of history.
- Many political slogans from the 1990s now lie on the ash heap of history.
- The agreement was quickly thrown onto the ash heap of history after the war began.
turn to ashes
1/tˈɚn tə ˈæʃɪz/
idiom
be destroyed until only ash remains
To be burned or destroyed so completely that only ash is left. Often used about buildings, forests, or hopes and plans.
Examples
- In minutes, the wooden hut had turned to ashes.
- Their dreams seemed to turn to ashes when the project was canceled.
- Fields that were green last year have turned to ashes after the fire.
scatter someone's ashes
1/skˈætɚ sˈʌmwˌʌnz ˈæʃɪz/
fixed phrase
Throw cremated remains over a place
To throw a dead person's cremated remains into the air or over an area, usually in a place that was special to them.
Examples
- They scattered his ashes over the ocean, just as he had wished.
- They scattered his ashes at sea, just as he had asked.
- The family gathered to scatter her ashes in the mountains.
- The family gathered on the hill to scatter her ashes.
- He asked that they scatter his ashes in the garden.
- He wants his ashes to be scattered in the forest where he used to walk.
rise from the ashes
1/ɹˈaɪz fɹˈʌm ðə ˈæʃɪz/
idiom
Recover after destruction/failure
To become successful again after losing everything or failing badly.
Examples
- The company rose from the ashes after bankruptcy.
- After the fire, the town managed to rise from the ashes and rebuild.
- Like a phoenix, she rose from the ashes of her past mistakes.
- The company rose from the ashes after bankruptcy and became profitable again.
- Their relationship rose from the ashes after years of problems.
rise from the ashes
2/ɹˈaɪz fɹˈʌm ðə ˈæʃɪz/
idiom
literary
Recover strongly after failure
To become successful or strong again after losing everything or having big problems.
Examples
- After years of decline, the club rose from the ashes to win the championship.
- The community rose from the ashes after the wildfire destroyed their homes.