aflame

[uh-fleym]

adjective

1. on fire; ablaze.

   The house was all aflame.

2. eager and excited.

   I was aflame with curiosity.

aflame

/ əˈfleɪm /

adverb

1. in flames; ablaze

2. deeply aroused, as with passion

   he was aflame with desire

3. (of the face) red or inflamed

Word History and Origins

Origin of aflame¹

First recorded in 1545–55; a- ¹ + flame

Example Sentences

Video footage of the plane’s takeoff showed the General Electric engine aflame before the jet crashed in an industrial area just beyond the runway at Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Firefighters arrived to find a home in shambles, with walls collapsed, windows blown out and parts still aflame.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Both then suddenly explode and are seen aflame.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The saganaki, set aflame tableside by the waiter, makes for an unforgettable appetizer — and the menu only gets better from there.

Read more on Salon

Another report released in 2021 found more than 400 hazardous sites are at risk for flooding with sea level rise in California, lingering parts of which are still aflame from wildfires as of this writing.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• blazing 
• burning 
• combustible 
• excitable 
• fierce 
• flaming 
• glowing 
• heated 
• hot 
• impassioned 
• intense 
• red-hot 
• spirited 
• vehement 
• violent