flare

American  

[flair] / flɛər /

verb (used without object)

flares, present (3rd person singular) flared, past participle, past flaring present participle

1. to burn with an unsteady, swaying flame, as a torch or candle in the wind.

   Synonyms:

   flame

2. to blaze with a sudden burst of flame (often followed byup ).

   The fire flared up as the paper caught.

3. to start up or burst out in sudden, fierce intensity or activity (often followed byup ).

   His stomach problems have flared up.

4. to become suddenly enraged; express sudden, fierce anger or passion (usually followed by up orout ).

   I’m not a person who flares easily. She sometimes flares out at the kids.

   Synonyms:

   flame, blaze, flash, explode, erupt

5. to shine or glow.

6. to spread gradually outward, as the end of a trumpet, the bottom of a wide skirt, or the sides of a ship.

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verb (used with object)

flares, present (3rd person singular) flared, past participle, past flaring present participle

1. to cause (a candle, torch, etc.) to burn with a swaying flame.

2. to display conspicuously or ostentatiously.

3. to signal by flares of fire or light.

4. to cause (something) to spread gradually outward in form.

5. Metallurgy. to heat (a high-zinc brass) to such a high temperature that the zinc vapors begin to burn.

6. to discharge and burn (excess gas) at a well or refinery.

noun

flares plural

1. a flaring or swaying flame or light, as of torches in the wind.

2. a sudden blaze or burst of flame.

   Synonyms:

   flash

3. a bright blaze of fire or light used as a signal, a means of illumination or guidance, etc.

4. a device or substance used to produce such a blaze of fire or light.

5. a sudden burst, as of zeal or of anger.

6. a gradual spread outward in form; outward curvature.

   the flare of a skirt.

7. something that spreads out.

8. Optics. light, often unwanted or extraneous, reaching the image plane of an optical instrument, as a camera, resulting from reflections, scattering by lenses, and the like.

9. Photography. a fogged appearance given to an image by reflection within a camera lens or within the camera itself.

10. Also called solar flare.  Astronomy. a sudden and brief brightening of the solar atmosphere in the vicinity of a sunspot that results from an explosive release of particles and radiation.

11. Football. a short pass thrown to a back who is running toward a sideline and is not beyond the line of scrimmage.

12. Television. a dark area on a CRT picture tube caused by variations in light intensity.

flare British  

/ flɛə /

verb

1. to burn or cause to burn with an unsteady or sudden bright flame

2. to spread or cause to spread outwards from a narrow to a wider shape

3. (tr) to make a conspicuous display of

4. to increase the temperature of (a molten metal or alloy) until a gaseous constituent of the melt burns with a characteristic flame or (of a molten metal or alloy) to show such a flame

5. (in the oil industry) to burn off (unwanted gas) at an oil well

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noun

1. an unsteady flame

2. a sudden burst of flame

3. 1. a blaze of light or fire used to illuminate, identify, alert, signal distress, etc

   2. the device producing such a blaze

4. a spreading shape or anything with a spreading shape

   a skirt with a flare

5. a sudden outburst, as of emotion

6. optics

   1. the unwanted light reaching the image region of an optical device by reflections inside the instrument, etc

   2. the fogged area formed on a negative by such reflections See also solar flare

7. astronomy short for solar flare

8. aeronautics the final transition phase of an aircraft landing, from the steady descent path to touchdown

9. an open flame used to burn off unwanted gas at an oil well

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• outflare
  verb (used with object)
• flared
  adjective
• unflared
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• flares
  plural

Participles

• flaring
  present
• flared
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• flare
  simple
• flares
  simple
• have flared
  perfect
• has flared
  perfect
• am flaring
  progressive
• are flaring
  progressive
• is flaring
  progressive
• have been flaring
  perfect progressive
• has been flaring
  perfect progressive

Past

• flared
  simple
• had flared
  perfect
• was flaring
  progressive
• were flaring
  progressive
• had been flaring
  perfect progressive

Future

• will flare
  simple
• will have flared
  perfect
• will be flaring
  progressive
• will have been flaring
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of flare

1540–50; original meaning: spread out, said of hair, a ship's sides, etc.; compare Old English flǣre either of the spreading sides at the end of the nose

Explanation

A flare is a sudden burst of light. The flare of a lit match in the dark night is strangely beautiful. The flare of a flame in the dark is sudden and bright, and the flare of an idea or emotion is similarly intense. Parts of clothing that grow wider, like the "bells" on your bell-bottoms — and are also called flares. The verb flare also means to burn brightly or suddenly erupt, like a skin rash that flares up in hot weather or your friend's temper that flares when people tease her about her favorite team losing the big game.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

flare flares flared flaring

A drag queen would cut through the room like a flare.

From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026

While Paul is touring the center, a solar flare creates an electromagnetic disruption that briefly cuts power to the databanks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

It was three days after a stranded mariner’s emergency flare apparently sent flames raging through the south end of Channel Islands National Park’s second-largest island.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026

After safely detonating the device at another location, the police informed Ewan that the device was a practice bomb used to send flare signals 20,000 ft in the air.

From BBC ● May 28, 2026

Once he had time to think, it would flare up again, hotter than before.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

They also reportedly have dispensers for chaff -- metal shavings that distract radar-guided missiles -- and flares that blind heat-seeking missiles.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

A post-game fireworks show went awry at BMO Stadium on Friday night, when fireworks set off on the playing pitch sent flares streaming into the stands, forcing fans to scatter to safety.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026

On that night in Zenica, as red flares lit up the night sky, Bosnia stunned Europe by winning in a shootout.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

The fastest outflows did not occur during the X-ray flares themselves.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 19, 2026

It was the only place fit enough after the sun flares and the risen sea levels, the massive destruction of all the towns and cities and vegetation.

From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner

Brent crude futures were up 1.3% to $89.22 a barrel Monday as U.S.-Iran tensions flared.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

The right biceps issue that flared in Ohtani’s final at-bat last Friday, and sidelined him Saturday, raised the question of whether he should skip his last start before the All-Star break.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

The band has not announced any shows in 2026, though, and nervous speculation has flared online: Maybe this is it, and the group won’t tour again.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

The conflict flared last January, when the M23 captured large parts of the mineral-rich east, including the regional capital Goma.

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026

Irritation flared in him, then turned to rage, and then he was screaming at a card on the floor that he couldn’t grab ahold of, and the terror spread.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

To separate the true signals from the effects of stellar flaring, the team developed specialized calibration methods.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026

Oil has been back in the spotlight with Iran tensions flaring back up, but investors are more focused on the start of another crucial quarterly earnings season.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 12, 2026

But if you run on the colder side, she also features flaring long-sleeve jerseys that range between off the shoulder and a collared neckline.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026

Hazardous haze has also been choking people elsewhere in South East Asia, with the most number of hotspots flaring up across Malaysia and Indonesia in seven years.

From BBC ● Mar. 31, 2026

She had a small gap between her teeth and faded pockmarks on her chin, yet her eyes were beautiful, with thick, flaring brows and liquid flourishes that extended beyond the natural width of the lids.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Related Words

• blaze
• boil over
• break out
• burn
• explode
• flash
• flicker
• glow
• seethe