flame

American  

[fleym] / fleɪm /

noun

• flames
  plural

1. burning gas or vapor, as from wood or coal, that is undergoing combustion; a portion of ignited gas or vapor.

   Synonyms:

   fire

2. Often flames the state or condition of blazing combustion.

   to burst into flames.

3. any flamelike condition; glow; inflamed condition.

4. brilliant light; scintillating luster.

5. bright coloring; a streak or patch of color.

6. flame color.

7. intense ardor, zeal, or passion.

8. Informal. an object of one's passionate love; sweetheart.

   He's taking out his new flame tonight.

9. Computer Slang. an angry, critical, or disparaging electronic message, as an online comment.

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verb (used without object)

• flames,
  present (3rd person singular)
• flamed,
  past participle,  past
• flaming
  present participle

1. to burn with a flame or flames; burst into flames; blaze.

2. to glow like flame; shine brilliantly; flash.

3. to burn or burst forth with strong emotion; break into open anger, indignation, etc.

4. Computer Slang. to post an angry, critical, or disparaging electronic message, as an online comment.

verb (used with object)

• flames,
  present (3rd person singular)
• flamed,
  past participle,  past
• flaming
  present participle

1. to subject to the action of flame or fire.

2. to flambé.

3. Computer Slang. to insult or criticize angrily in an online post or comment.

verb phrase

1. flame out

   1. (of a jet engine) to cease to function due to an interruption of the fuel supply or to faulty combustion.

   2. to burst out in or as if in flames.

flame British  

/ fleɪm /

noun

1. a hot usually luminous body of burning gas often containing small incandescent particles, typically emanating in flickering streams from burning material or produced by a jet of ignited gas

2. (often plural) the state or condition of burning with flames

   to burst into flames

3. a brilliant light; fiery glow

4. 1. a strong reddish-orange colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      a flame carpet

5. intense passion or ardour; burning emotion

6. informal a lover or sweetheart (esp in the phrase an old flame )

7. informal an abusive message sent by electronic mail, esp to express anger or criticism of an internet user

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verb

1. to burn or cause to burn brightly; give off or cause to give off flame

2. (intr) to burn or glow as if with fire; become red or fiery

   his face flamed with anger

3. (intr) to show great emotion; become angry or excited

4. (tr) to apply a flame to (something)

5. archaic (tr) to set on fire, either physically or with emotion

6. informal to send an abusive message by electronic mail

flame Scientific  

/ flām /

1. The hot, glowing mixture of burning gases and tiny particles that arises from combustion. Flames get their light either from the fluorescence of molecules or ions that have become excited, or from the incandescence of solid particles involved in the combustion process, such as the carbon particles from a candle.

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flame Idioms  

1. see add fuel to the fire (flames); burst into (flames); fan the flames; go up in flames; shoot down (in flames).

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Synonym Usage

Flame, blaze, conflagration refer to the light and heat given off by combustion. Flame is the common word, referring to a combustion of any size: the light of a match flame. Blaze usually denotes a quick, hot, bright, and comparatively large flame: The fire burst into a blaze. Conflagration refers to destructive flames which spread over a considerable area: A conflagration destroyed Chicago.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• flamelet
  noun
• flamer
  noun
• underflame
  noun
• outflame
  verb (used with object)
• flameless
  adjective
• flamelike
  adjective
• flamy
  adjective
• preflame
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• flames
  plural

Participles

• flaming
  present
• flamed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• flame
  simple
• flames
  simple
• have flamed
  perfect
• has flamed
  perfect
• am flaming
  progressive
• are flaming
  progressive
• is flaming
  progressive
• have been flaming
  perfect progressive
• has been flaming
  perfect progressive

Past

• flamed
  simple
• had flamed
  perfect
• was flaming
  progressive
• were flaming
  progressive
• had been flaming
  perfect progressive

Future

• will flame
  simple
• will have flamed
  perfect
• will be flaming
  progressive
• will have been flaming
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of flame

First recorded in 1300–50; (noun) Middle English flaume, from Anglo-French, variant of flaumbe; Old French flambe, earlier flamble, from Latin flammula, diminutive of flamma “flame” ( see -ule); (verb) Middle English flaumen, from Anglo-French flaum(b)er; Old French flamber, from Latin flammāre, derivative of flamma

Explanation

The flame of a fire produces light and heat and often flickers or dances. As a verb, to flame is to be on fire or to flare up. On the Internet, flame has a different meaning: to post or send aggressive, negative, or insulting messages in a public electronic forum. "Flame wars" are exchanges of such messages between individuals or parties and often occur behind a veil of anonymity. It's an appropriate term, given that inflammatory, which takes flame as its root, describes speech or action that tends to incite a heightened and negative response.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

flame flames flamed flaming

"However, if these batteries are faulty, over-charged or damaged, the stored energy may be released rapidly in the form of flame jets and burning projectiles," he said.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

Once everything is in place, Gardner tests the fire — there are buttons he presses with each thumb to ignite the flame.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

But though the flame might be small, it remains lit.

From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026

While the company and authorities have defended the technology for helping fight crime, reports of misuse have only fanned the flame this summer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

It had been dried, with her coat, in front of a salamandric flame, but it still smelled of its many and various adventures.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

Wheels on a cargo plane landing at Los Angeles International Airport Wednesday night erupted into flames on the runway, video shows.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

Machines have been used to remove vegetation on either side of the track with the hope that what remains would not create such high flames if it were to ignite.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

Maria Angeles Canete, 54, lost both her campsites to the flames that ripped through the mountainous terrain west of the Spanish capital Madrid.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

It’s the gift that keeps on giving: They stoke the flames, and the flames reward them back.

From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026

As soon as the Nanuak was hidden, the flames grew and the shadows shrank.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

In fact, what the race revealed were the weaknesses and limitations of an ineffective candidate who would have almost certainly flamed out in the general election.

From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026

The 1988 presidential campaign of Alexander Haig, a former four-star general who served as Ronald Reagan’s first secretary of state, flamed out amid GOP infighting over the Iran–Contra affair.

From Slate ● Apr. 6, 2026

“Every one of these flamed out,” he reports.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 8, 2026

Doubts about a Fed rate cut next month were also flamed by the release of much-delayed September jobs data.

From Barron's ● Nov. 21, 2025

He did not tell Gandalf, but as he was speaking a great desire to follow Bilbo flamed up in his heart — to follow Bilbo, and even perhaps to find him again.

From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien

We have to imagine, for instance, Ron DiFrancesco riding a broken slab of drywall down a flaming stairwell and becoming the last known person to escape the South Tower before it collapsed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

The company said that behind the most intense "flaming zones",the fire had left a trail of burning vegetation.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

A woman testified that she saw Stout get out of the flaming car and push it over the dirt mound, where it rolled down the embankment and ignited the dry vegetation at the bottom.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

Parkkonen, who appears on stage as enigmatic and brooding while lamenting his unanswered love next to a flaming confessional, hoped the song will serve as "a helping hand".

From Barron's ● Apr. 30, 2026

In the late afternoon, it was purplish blue beneath a flaming golden sun.

From "Lupita Mañana" by Patricia Beatty

Related Words

• blaze
• conflagration
• flare
• flash
• light
• spark
• wildfire