Synonyms

ignite

American

[ig-nahyt] / ɪgˈnaɪt /

verb (used with object)

to set on fire; kindle.
Chemistry. to heat intensely; roast.

verb (used without object)

to take fire; begin to burn.

ignite British

/ ɪɡˈnaɪt /

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See kindle ¹.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

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

Explanation

Ignite is a verb that means to start heat or a flame. Trying to ignite a match inside a dark fireworks factory is a really bad idea — one that can get you blown sky high. The literal definition of ignite is to cause something to catch fire or burn. Dousing a house in gasoline and putting a lit match to the front door will surely cause the home to ignite. In its more figurative sense, ignite means to inspire intense feelings. A passionate kiss can ignite a fiery romance and a controversial speech can ignite fierce anger.

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Vocabulary lists containing ignite

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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:

ignite ignites ignited igniting

An abrupt slowdown could ignite shock waves throughout the U.S. economy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

During severe droughts, these normally wet landscapes can dry enough to ignite.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026

"El Nino does not ignite fires. It creates the dry conditions that allow human-started fires to escape and become very large," he told AFP.

From Barron's ● Sep. 5, 2026

The deer eat fire-resilient chaparral and other native plants, making way for invasive annual grasses, which ignite more easily, increase erosion and leave less water to soak into aquifers, he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

More than enough time to mourn the creative process and ignite it again, but there are no sparks of something new.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

“When you see someone, and you’re excited, or you’re angry,” Suwinyattichaiporn said, “it ignites a similar part of the brain.”

From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026

Shin may be trying to remove fuel before the room ignites on its own.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 4, 2026

Known as a 'gentle giant', Raducanu says Richardson also has a fiery side that ignites the competitive spark in her.

From BBC ● May 22, 2026

The spark plug ignites a fuel-air mix, causing the rotor to turn a shaft, creating motion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

It’s like the spark that ignites a brushfire.

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman

The collision on the narrow two-lane highway ignited a fire that engulfed the 17-passenger mid-sized commercial shuttle bus, which had a 50-year-old driver and five passengers onboard, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

The spark was ignited on September 23 when 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal was evicted from her lifelong Madrid home on a stretcher after the real estate firm that owned the apartment drastically hiked the rent.

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026

The Dome fire has charred more than 3,000 acres since it ignited on Tuesday just north of Wawona Dome in Yosemite, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026

Since the launch of ChatGPT ignited the AI revolution, Berber has broken dozens of major stories on the industry's biggest players.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

He also noted the games that ignited his interest toward further exploration.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

AI agents may give everyday shoppers an edge, but the technology is igniting an even more intense tug of war over consumer dollars.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

“This is a deliberate first step in igniting Sanofi’s innovation engine,” the company’s recently appointed chief executive, Belen Garijo, said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

These surge for tens of kilometers, splintering trees, igniting forests and burying the remnants beneath hot ash and pumice.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026

The first jury trial looking at whether Edison acted negligently in igniting the fire is scheduled to begin Jan. 25.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

It can be reasonably assumed that she was surrounded by a frightening cacophony of sounds — wood igniting and burning wildly, the glass of windows exploding, stairways and ceilings collapsing.

From "The Great Fire" by Jim Murphy

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023