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inflate

[ in-fleyt ]
/ ɪnˈfleɪt /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR inflate ON THESAURUS.COM

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

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.

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RELATED WORDS

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

Nearby words

inflammatory lymph, inflammatory papillary hyperplasia, inflammatory pseudotumor, inflammatory rheumatism, inflatable, inflate, inflated, inflatedly, inflation, inflation theory, inflationary

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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for inflate

British Dictionary definitions for inflate

inflate

/ (ɪnˈfleɪt) /

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

inflate

v.

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.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper