noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of inflatable
Explanation
Something inflatable can be blown up or filled with air. A balloon is inflatable — you can either blow it up, or fill it with helium so that it floats. Car tires are inflatable, and so are beach balls, bicycle inner tubes, floating pool toys, bouncy castles, air mattresses, and some lightweight boats. If you're in a car accident, the inflatable air bag will fill quickly to protect you from hitting the dashboard. The adjective inflatable comes from the Latin inflare, "to blow into or puff up."
Vocabulary lists containing inflatable
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:
Spanish authorities laid a 500-yard inflatable barrier that extends from the breakwater to discourage arrivals and address the legal loophole raised by the Supreme Court.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
The country's Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, said on Saturday that the situation had almost returned to normal and the country was working on an inflatable barrier to prevent illegal migration via the water.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
The Super Furry Animals found fame in 1996 after the release of their album English-language Fuzzy Logic, grabbing headlines for their unusual promotional tactics, including giant inflatable bears.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
Operation Fortitude saw the Allies deploy a faux “First U.S. Army Group” of inflatable tanks and wooden planes to distract from the D-Day invasion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
An inflatable solar system hung from the ceiling, with the sun and eight planets scaled to size, along with various starship Enterprise models.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
Elsewhere, locals flocked to the Canal Saint-Martin in the north of the city, some with inflatables, after the authorities allowed swimming there due to the heat.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
If you’re looking to go big on your decor, skeletons, gravestones and inflatables are perfect to transform your home into a real-life haunted house.
From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2025
The DC inflatables were not powerful as symbols the way the Portland frog is; their absurdity did not clash so dramatically against their fellow goofy marchers.
From Slate ● Oct. 19, 2025
On 11 August lifeguards patrolling at Tenby Castle Beach rescued six people and assisted two people using inflatables who were in difficulty caught in rip currents.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2025
The pulsating music, giant inflatables tossed into the crowd and sudden blasts of fog can overstimulate kids.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2025
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.
