
Sunburn
Physically Painful
Sunburn signifies actual skin pain, unlike 'tan' which implies a color change without pain.

She couldn't wear her backpack because her sunburn was so painful.
Avoid Understatement
Describe severe skin damage as 'sunburn' to convey seriousness rather than just sun exposure.

He underestimated the sun's strength and ended up with a severe sunburn.
Unexpected Outcome
Use 'sunburn' to indicate an unintended consequence of being outdoors despite sunny weather.

The picnic was lovely, but I came home with an unexpected sunburn.
Compare with
BurnDiscomfortInflammationIrritatePainRedSuntanTan
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