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.
But if you would like to set a social media thread ablaze with ferocious debate, this question will never let you down.
From Slate • Jun. 16, 2026
Now Rousey's fire is ablaze with a new challenge.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
Nothing is ablaze, of course, but a woman from the sheriff’s department is outside, monitoring this early departure, asking questions of Martin that we can’t hear, yet not stopping his wish to drive off quickly.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
For example, the Fairmont the Palm hotel in Dubai that was set ablaze early in the war was insured against terrorism and sabotage, according to people familiar with the matter.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
Animals who had fled from the poison tide now hurried back to find their old homes ablaze.
From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown
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.
