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.

---

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

---

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.

---

flame Idioms  

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

---

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

At both those public events I used matches from tower 100 to light the flame that fed others in the audience, and said a few words.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

There’s a flame in my heart that wasn’t there before watching this movie, and that’s as great as a review can get.

From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026

Experts say fire from burning heather can reach heights of six metres and that fire breaks need to be three times the flame height.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

Neither do the costumes, which are flame retardant, and add additional heft.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

The flame didn’t hiss out like Anya thought it would.

From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack

Nearly a century after the crash of the Hindenburg airship, the images of towering flames and mangled metal haven’t lost their power.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

British racing driver Ollie Millroy says it is a "miracle I'm alive" after fellow driver Loek Hartog saved him from his car when it was engulfed in flames.

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026

“Wildfire recovery does not end when the flames are extinguished,” Harabedian said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026

Some firefighters hiked down into the canyon to contain the flames, while others were focused on defending the homes along an adjacent ridgeline, Navarre said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

If only I could stay near our fire, picturing horses clopping down Smith Street, Brooklyn, in the orange flames, imagining Maggie home with us.

From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff

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

Iowa, which flamed out to No. 10 seed Virginia in the second round last week, could have simply been less prepared than other tournament teams.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026

Other standouts included flamed A5 wagyu topped with foie gras and melt-in-your-mouth hamachi in yuzu and soy, finished with serrano and a dollop of sriracha.

From Salon ● Feb. 2, 2026

With Jones, a former first-round pick who flamed out with the New York Giants, Indianapolis’s success to start the season was downright historic.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 8, 2025

He towered above all in the chamber and his beard flamed around a face so scarred with old wounds it was impossible to tell where one began and another ended.

From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander

International fans who have lived with this flaming dumpster of technology have to chuckle at a Jason-come-lately discovering the bane of their existence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

A flaming ear of corn transforms into a crankshaft.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 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

Last year, three of Starship’s five launches exploded at unexpected points on their flight paths, twice raining flaming debris over congested commercial airways and disrupting flights.

From Salon ● Jan. 12, 2026

At ten seconds before the hour, they raise their bows and aim the flaming arrows at the waiting well of curling iron.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Related Words

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