ablaze

American  

[uh-bleyz] / əˈbleɪz /

adjective

1. burning; on fire.

   They set the logs ablaze.

2. gleaming with bright lights, bold colors, etc.

3. excited; eager; zealous; ardent.

4. very angry.

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ablaze British  

/ əˈbleɪz /

adjective

1. on fire; burning

2. brightly illuminated

3. emotionally aroused

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Etymology

Origin of ablaze

1800–10; a- ¹ + blaze ¹; compare Middle English on blase

Example Sentences

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 two tankers were set ablaze near Iraq's southern port of Basra, forcing a pause of operations at the country's oil terminals.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

Also, CNN reported that 38 crew members were rescued after a suspected Iranian attack set two foreign tankers ablaze in Iraqi territorial waters, citing the head of Iraq’s ports company.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 11, 2026

The cargo ship he was in charge of, the Portuguese-flagged Solong, rammed into the jet-fuel-laden Stena Immaculate tanker early on March 10 last year, setting both vessels ablaze and triggering a massive off-shore rescue operation.

From Barron's • Jan. 12, 2026

But others countered that if comets were the smoke of sin, the skies would be continually ablaze with them.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Related Words

• afire
• aflame