inflate

[in-fleyt]

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verb (used with object), in·flat·ed, in·flat·ing.

to distend; swell or puff out; dilate: The king cobra inflates its hood.
to cause to expand or distend with air or gas: to inflate a balloon.
to puff up with pride, satisfaction, etc.

to elate.
Economics. to expand (money, prices, an economy, etc.) unduly in amount, value, or size; affect with inflation.

verb (used without object), in·flat·ed, in·flat·ing.

to become inflated.
to increase, especially suddenly and substantially: The $10 subscription has inflated to $25.

Origin of inflate

1470–80; < Latin inflātus past participle of inflāre to blow on or into, puff out, equivalent to in- in-² + flā- blow² + -tus past participle suffix

Related formsin·flat·er, in·fla·tor, nouno·ver·in·flate, verb (used with object), o·ver·in·flat·ed, o·ver·in·flat·ing.re·in·flate, verb, re·in·flat·ed, re·in·flat·ing.

Synonyms for inflate

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1. See expand.

Antonyms for inflate

1. deflate.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for inflate

widen, magnify, augment, bloat, escalate, exaggerate, enlarge, pad, boost, expand, overestimate, maximize, distend, pyramid, raise, aerate, dilate, stretch, balloon, exalt

Examples from the Web for inflate

Contemporary Examples of inflate

Does it matter whether Taylor Swift wants me to inflate my Internet notoriety by doing a dumb thing where I lip sync to her music?
Death of the Author by Viral Infection: In Defense of Taylor Swift, Digital Doomsayer
Arthur Chu
December 3, 2014
Otherwise, there's a tendency for people with small businesses to inflate the expenses of the business to match the income.
The Taxman Cometh
Megan McArdle
April 30, 2013
Apropos inflation, the government could try to inflate its way out of this crisis, covering the deficit by printing money.
Fischer King Departs
Bernard Avishai
January 31, 2013
But could this invoking of the words of the Godfather of Soul be a belated effort to inflate these flat polling numbers?
Why Mitt Romney’s Use of James Brown Annoys Black Voters
Mansfield Frazier
August 31, 2012
You have to add a lot of minor traffic violators and visa overstayers to inflate that figure to 94 percent.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel Is Latest to Reject ‘Secure Communities’ Immigration Law
Robert M. Morgenthau
July 13, 2012

Historical Examples of inflate

To belly a sail is to inflate or fill it with the wind, so as to give a taut leech.
The Sailor's Word-Book
William Henry Smyth
"Launch and inflate another target-globe," he ordered drily.
Talents, Incorporated
William Fitzgerald Jenkins
Joe took a little longer than usual to inflate his lungs this time.
Joe Strong, the Boy Fish
Vance Barnum
Why inflate what is unimportant, and waste description on silly things?
Bouvard and Pcuchet
Gustave Flaubert
Only their bubbs were intact, but there was nothing with which to inflate them.
The Planet Strappers
Raymond Zinke Gallun

British Dictionary definitions for inflate

inflate

verb

to expand or cause to expand by filling with gas or airshe needed to inflate the tyres
(tr) to cause to increase excessively; puff up; swellto inflate one's opinion of oneself
(tr) to cause inflation of (prices, money, etc)
(tr) to raise in spirits; elate
(intr) to undergo economic inflation

Derived Formsinflatedly, adverbinflatedness, nouninflater or inflator, noun

Word Origin for inflate

C16: from Latin inflāre to blow into, from flāre to blow

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

Word Origin and History for inflate

early 15c., "cause to swell," from Latin inflatus, past participle of inflare "to blow into, inflate" (see inflation). Economics sense from 1844. In some senses a back-formation from inflation. Related: Inflatable; inflated; inflating.