fuel
Americannoun
-
fuels
plural
-
combustible matter used to maintain fire, as coal, wood, oil, or gas, in order to create heat or power.
-
something that gives nourishment; food.
-
an energy source for engines, power plants, or reactors.
Kerosene is used as jet engine fuel.
-
something that sustains or encourages; stimulant.
Our discussion provided him with fuel for debate.
- Synonyms:
- stimulus, impetus, sustenance, ammunition
verb (used with object)
-
fuels,
present (3rd person singular)
-
fueled,
past participle, past
-
fuelled,
past participle, past (especially British)
-
fueling,
present participle
-
fuelling
present participle (especially British)
verb (used without object)
-
fuels,
present (3rd person singular)
-
fueled,
past participle, past
-
fuelled,
past participle, past (especially British)
-
fueling,
present participle
-
fuelling
present participle (especially British)
noun
-
any substance burned as a source of heat or power, such as coal or petrol
-
-
the material, containing a fissile substance, such as uranium-235, that produces energy in a nuclear reactor
-
a substance that releases energy in a fusion reactor
-
-
something that nourishes or builds up emotion, action, etc
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
fuelernoun
-
fuellernoun
-
defuelverb (used with object)
-
nonfueladjective
-
unfueledadjective
-
well-fueledadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
fuelsimple
-
fuelssimple
-
have fueledperfect
-
have fuelledperfect
-
has fueledperfect
-
has fuelledperfect
-
am fuelingprogressive
-
am fuellingprogressive
-
are fuelingprogressive
-
are fuellingprogressive
-
is fuelingprogressive
-
is fuellingprogressive
-
have been fuelingperfect progressive
-
have been fuellingperfect progressive
-
has been fuelingperfect progressive
-
has been fuellingperfect progressive
Past
-
fueledsimple
-
fuelledsimple
-
had fueledperfect
-
had fuelledperfect
-
was fuelingprogressive
-
was fuellingprogressive
-
were fuelingprogressive
-
were fuellingprogressive
-
had been fuelingperfect progressive
-
had been fuellingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of fuel
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English feuel, fuel(le), from Old French feuaile, from Vulgar Latin focālia (unrecorded), neuter plural of focālis (unrecorded) “of the hearth, fuel,” from Latin focus “hearth” ( see focus) + -ālis -al 1
Explanation
What do you and your car have in common? You both run on fuel. Whether its gasoline or nutritious food, fuel produces energy to get up and go. Fuel can also act as a verb that has several different meanings, all related to stimulating something or providing energy. Your brother might fuel up on whole-wheat bread with peanut butter a few hours before a big game. A teacher assigns readings to fuel meaningful class discussion. Memories of your mom's delicious dinners might fuel your desire to learn to cook.
Vocabulary lists containing fuel
Word Generation Science - Energy
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Engineering - Introductory
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Chemical Reactions - Introductory
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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.
See Examples For:
They pointed at their “favorable” supply stretching into next year, and said that the current backdrop of inflationary pressures — higher fuel prices included — also favors carriers that cater to “value-conscious” travelers.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 13, 2026
Japanese drivers in big cities and rural areas alike favor kei cars for their cheaper insurance, superb fuel economy and maneuverability.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2026
Other technical challenges include transferring fuel to Starship in orbit -- a requirement for any journey to the Moon or Mars.
From Barron's ● Nov. 13, 2026
"One of the best ways to fuel conspiracy theories and keep sandpapergate going is to essentially say 'there's no more to see here' - especially when that comes from the authorities," Rowe said.
From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2026
The water in reactor 2 fell below the tops of the fuel rods by 5:00 P.M.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
Huang’s departure fuels worries that a painful market correction could follow.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2026
The lack of a settlement in the Middle East, with resulting upside risks for energy-driven inflation, fuels pessimism that interest rates will stay on a rising path for an extended period, he says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2026
The wars in Ukraine and Iran, a pandemic, and paralysis in the Security Council have tested Guterres' skills as a diplomat but on fossil fuels the UN chief has rarely pulled any punches.
From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2026
He said key to this was cutting our "dependence on fossil fuels" and increasing electrification - the amount of our energy needs met from renewable electricity.
From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026
Their buying power fuels the booming market for Christian books, music, and films.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
Villarreal: Was there a piece of information as you started doing research that you didn’t know that really informed or fueled what you were doing?
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2026
Data centers are among its top customers, and optimism about the AI buildout had fueled Bloom’s year-to-date stock gains of more than 140%.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 11, 2026
Travel centered on overindulgence until roughly 15 years ago, when unplugging from smartphone-induced stresses like round-the-clock work fueled interest in wellness travel, said Beth McGroarty, vice president of research at the Global Wellness Institute.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026
The AI build-out has fueled demand for chips and other technology made in Asia, and sent shares in SK Hynix, Samsung Electronics, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and Japan’s Kioxia Holdings soaring.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026
I was fueled purely by the desperate need to make something happen.
From "The Rock and the River" by Kekla Magoon
The club may also have been fuelled by a sense of injustice.
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026
That has been fuelled in part by the country's strong diaspora networks and increasing access to Bollywood offerings on streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026
And there lies the crux of the problem - the lack of clarity has fuelled speculation about what the future holds.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
The UN decision has also fuelled nationalist rhetoric online.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
His personal identification with romantic heroes such as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet seemed to have fuelled not just musical inspiration but his crazed, desperate infatuation with a Shakespearean actress, Harriet Smithson.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
AI-related debt is on track to exceed $800 billion this year, and the companies fueling the boom are increasingly entangled through loans, investments and financial guarantees.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 11, 2026
Lakers guard Luka Doncic’s teammates and opposing coaches are in awe of his blistering scoring so far this season, fueling early support for MVP honors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026
However, these approaches do not work equally well for everyone, fueling interest in alternative options.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2026
Last year, state-owned automakers Dongfeng and Changan simultaneously announced restructuring plans, fueling speculation about a merger and industry consolidation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
The cyclotron’s celebrity as a technological phenomenon fed on itself, fueling its inventor’s preference for engineering and salesmanship over the tedious drudgery of hard science.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
This lessens the risk of flooding, but reduced rainfall can leave groundwater and river levels low, fuelling drought and wildfires in spring and summer.
From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2026
Huang has lobbied the US government to allow Nvidia chip sales to China, warning that the restrictions are fuelling the rise of competitive homegrown alternatives.
From Barron's ● Nov. 10, 2026
She believes the way filler is being marketed on social media is fuelling this steady increase of people seeking out treatment.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
Maas is also credited with fuelling interest in the romantasy genre, which has skyrocketed in popularity due to its discussion on social media.
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026
The schoolroom was perfumed with the smoke of peat, for it was the landward pupils' week of the fuelling, and they were accustomed to bring each his own peat under his arm every morning.
From Gilian The Dreamer His Fancy, His Love and Adventure by Neil Munro
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