ignite
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to set on fire; kindle.
-
Chemistry. to heat intensely; roast.
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to catch fire or set fire to; burn or cause to burn
-
(tr) chem to heat strongly
-
(tr) to stimulate or provoke
the case has ignited a nationwide debate
Related Words
See kindle 1.
Other Word Forms
- ignitability noun
- ignitable adjective
- ignitibility noun
- ignitible adjective
- nonignitability noun
- nonignitable adjective
- nonignitibility noun
- nonignitible adjective
- reignite verb (used with object)
- unignitable adjective
- unignited adjective
- unigniting adjective
Etymology
Origin of ignite
First recorded in 1660–70; from Latin ignītus “set on fire,” past participle of ignīre “to set on fire,” from ign(is) “fire” + -īre, infinitive verb suffix
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.
The protest marked a year since the fire ignited in the Pacific Palisades on 7 January 2025, tearing through the wealthy coastal community tucked between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.
From BBC
"Those dry thunderstorms have very little rainfall in them, but they can ignite new fires."
From Barron's
She was out of the country on a diplomatic mission to Ghana when the fire ignited.
From Los Angeles Times
Swiss prosecutors believe the fire ignited from champagne bottles with sparklers too close to insulation foam on the bar's ceiling.
From Barron's
Investigators say sparklers likely ignited flammable acoustic foam on the ceiling, and witnesses described flames racing overhead before many patrons understood the danger.
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.
