inflame
Americanverb (used with object)
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inflames,
present (3rd person singular)
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inflamed,
past participle, past
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inflaming
present participle
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to kindle or excite (passions, desires, etc.).
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to arouse to a high degree of passion or feeling.
His harangue inflamed the rabble.
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to incite or rouse, as to violence.
His words inflamed the angry mob to riot.
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(of an emotion, as rage) to cause to redden or grow heated.
Uncontrollable rage inflamed his face.
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to cause inflammation in.
Her eyes were inflamed with crying.
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to raise (the blood, bodily tissue, etc.) to a morbid or feverish heat.
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to set aflame, ablaze, or afire; set on fire.
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to redden with or as with flames.
The setting sun inflames the sky.
verb (used without object)
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inflames,
present (3rd person singular)
-
inflamed,
past participle, past
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inflaming
present participle
-
to burst into flame; take fire.
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to be kindled, as passion.
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to become hot with passion, as the heart.
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to become excessively affected with inflammation.
verb
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to arouse or become aroused to violent emotion
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(tr) to increase or intensify; aggravate
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to produce inflammation in (a tissue, organ, or part) or (of a tissue, etc) to become inflamed
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to set or be set on fire; kindle
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(tr) to cause to redden
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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inflamesimple
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inflamessimple
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have inflamedperfect
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has inflamedperfect
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am inflamingprogressive
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are inflamingprogressive
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is inflamingprogressive
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have been inflamingperfect progressive
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has been inflamingperfect progressive
Past
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inflamedsimple
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had inflamedperfect
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was inflamingprogressive
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were inflamingprogressive
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had been inflamingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of inflame
First recorded in 1300–50; in- 2 + flame; replacing Middle English enflammen, from Middle French enflammer, from Latin inflammāre “to kindle”
Explanation
To inflame is to make feelings stronger, or stir them up. Reminding your grandfather about the time his car was stolen may just inflame his anger. Getting a parking ticket might inflame your frustration, and when a city imposes a curfew it may inflame the community's feelings of resentment. Another way to inflame is more literal: to cause a physical condition that involves swelling, pain, and redness. Scratching your poison ivy rash will only inflame it in the long run, even if it briefly brings relief. Inflame is from the Latin inflammare, "set on fire" and "excite."
Vocabulary lists containing inflame
Inferno Lingo: Fire Vocabulary
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Novel Study: Julius Caesar, Act 3
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Canyon's Edge
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Mumps can cause deafness and inflame the brain, pancreas, testicles, ovaries and breast tissue.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
Club members have been reluctant to speak publicly about the dispute, fearing they could either inflame tensions within the membership or complicate the club’s court cases.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
With fans travelling between the three nations to watch matches, stepped-up US immigration enforcement efforts could create logistical headaches and inflame already frayed nerves.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
In terrible moments, we should keep in our minds these thoughts: Don’t inflame things.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
If his purpose had been to inflame the Meer- eenese against her, he would have told his tale when the hall was full of ears to hear.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
The mice missing girdin developed severe gut inflammation and an altered microbiome, and many died from sepsis, a dangerous condition caused by an uncontrolled immune response that inflames the entire body and harms vital organs.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2025
A trove of his letters and essays at Fitchburg State University provide a glimpse at how an author’s life is affected when a book unexpectedly inflames a long-running war.
From New York Times ● May 1, 2024
Probiotic supplements may be used to prevent necrotizing enterocolitis, a dangerous infection affecting premature infants that inflames and kills intestinal tissue.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 26, 2023
Former president Donald Trump, who inflames passions in both parties, stayed out of the state.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 5, 2022
This specimen carries her parasol on her left, toward the gate and her fiance, though the sun inflames her right.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
The Cold War added fuel to regional tensions already inflamed by Israeli independence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
A few days ago team officials expressed optimism, but Tuesday they decided to shelve their shortstop when the ankle became inflamed after a workout.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
The researchers also found that the more inflamed the tissue became, the lower the expression of these transporters tended to be.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026
However, after around six months the blood vessels in the kidney started to become damaged and the organ inflamed and then it started to fail.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
The imperative to raise the general level of technical proficiency had only grown stronger as the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union grew more inflamed.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Walz, both Democrats, had urged the federal immigration authorities to leave the state to avoid inflaming tensions even more.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 12, 2026
“It serves no purpose other than inflaming the situation. No one is going to convince the other. The only communication should be the officers issuing commands.”
From Salon ● Jan. 29, 2026
The outgoing United Nations refugee chief fears an increasingly fragmented world is fuelling global conflicts and crises, and inflaming hostility towards people desperately fleeing for safety.
From Barron's ● Dec. 31, 2025
Linehan said he was met by five armed officers, sparking a backlash from some public figures and politicians, and inflaming a fierce debate about policing and free speech.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2025
The sun was a blood-red ball hovering outside his window, inflaming his eyes as he kept up a lookout for Africa on the horizon.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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.
