inflammatory

American  

[in-flam-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] / ɪnˈflæm əˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i /

adjective

1. tending to arouse anger, hostility, passion, etc..

   inflammatory speeches.

   Synonyms:

   provocative, incendiary, fiery

2. Pathology. of or caused by inflammation.

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inflammatory British  

/ ɪnˈflæmətərɪ, -trɪ /

adjective

1. characterized by or caused by inflammation

2. tending to arouse violence, strong emotion, etc

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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.

Example Sentences

These lingering cells, often called "zombie cells," remain active in tissues and release a steady stream of inflammatory signals that can damage surrounding cells.

From Science Daily • Apr. 16, 2026

“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

Magyar only left Orbán’s Fidesz party amid a corruption scandal two years ago, and has largely avoided discussing Putin, Zelenskyy or inflammatory culture-war topics.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026

The current investigation follows complaints made by Charlotte Smith, from Warwickshire, who described Cooke's post as "inappropriate and inflammatory".

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Suffering from an enlarged heart and inflammatory rheumatism, he nevertheless continued to plow his fields the old-fashioned way—behind a team of mules.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

Related Words

• incendiary
• intemperate
• provocative