ablaze
Americanadjective
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burning; on fire.
They set the logs ablaze.
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gleaming with bright lights, bold colors, etc.
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excited; eager; zealous; ardent.
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very angry.
adjective
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on fire; burning
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brightly illuminated
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emotionally aroused
Etymology
Origin of ablaze
Explanation
Use the adjective ablaze to describe something that's on fire. Once your campfire is ablaze, you can toast marshmallows over it. If there's a terrible fire in your town, it might set many houses ablaze, and some people dispose of fallen leaves and branches by setting them ablaze in the yard. The word dates from the 14th century, and it combines the prefix a-, which here means "on," and blaze, or "flame," from the Old English blæse, "torch, flame, firebrand, or lamp."
Vocabulary lists containing ablaze
"Ode to the Table" by Pablo Neruda
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Towers Falling
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Let There Be Light: Synonyms for "Bright"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The news set the internet ablaze with joy and hope.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
The nationwide unrest in September saw the parliament and government offices set ablaze and led to Oli's ouster.
From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026
At about 01:40 GMT on Monday, the London Fire Brigade was called to Highfield Road in Golders Green, where four Hatzola ambulances were ablaze.
From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026
One of the ships, a foreign tanker carrying Iraqi fuel oil, was ablaze in Iraqi waters.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026
The office overlooks the sea, and we took a minute to watch the freighters in the harbor, which was ablaze with sunlight.
From "The Stranger" by Albert Camus
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
