inflammatory
Americanadjective
-
tending to arouse anger, hostility, passion, etc..
inflammatory speeches.
- Synonyms:
- provocative, incendiary, fiery
-
Pathology. of or caused by inflammation.
adjective
-
characterized by or caused by inflammation
-
tending to arouse violence, strong emotion, etc
Other Word Forms
- inflammatorily adverb
- noninflammatory adjective
- subinflammatory adjective
Etymology
Origin of inflammatory
First recorded in 1725–35; from Latin inflammāt(us) “kindled” (past participle of inflammāre “to kindle”; inflame ) + -ory 1
Explanation
In medical terms, something that is inflammatory causes a local reaction that shows up by swelling, heat, pain, and redness. If you are stung by a bee, you may have an acute inflammatory reaction to the sting. The adjective inflammatory also refers to something that excites anger, violence, rebellion, or similar strong emotions, in many cases referring to speech or writing. If you are a politician, inflammatory speeches may be one tool you use to incite your constituents to vote against the corruption of your opponent. After all, a stirring speech about rights people may lose if an election goes a certain way is more likely to get out the vote than a more understated discussion.
Vocabulary lists containing inflammatory
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 5
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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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.
“Because I think people have …” she pauses, “misspoken, and they have said very, very inflammatory things about that slogan, which has not helped the movement. Anything that might class as hate speech.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026
Swinney said some of the rhetoric on immigration had been "inflammatory" and backed calls for the UK government to allow asylum seekers to work.
From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026
It reminded me of two similar films that deal in extremity and, on their face, look like inflammatory cinema until picked apart and examined more closely.
From Salon • Apr. 9, 2026
Many common foods and seasonings, including herbs, spices, and aromatic plants, contain natural compounds known as phytochemicals that can affect inflammatory pathways.
From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2026
Then President Snow, trying to use me to put out the flames of rebellion, only to have my every move become inflammatory.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
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.
