ignite

verb

ig·​nite ig-ˈnīt How to pronounce ignite (audio)
ignited; igniting

transitive verb

1
a
: to set afire
also : kindle
b
: to cause (a fuel) to burn
2
: to subject to fire or intense heat
especially : to render luminous by heat
3
a
: to heat up : excite
oppression that ignited the hatred of the people
b
: to set in motion : spark
ignite a debate

intransitive verb

1
: to catch fire
2
: to begin to glow
ignitability noun
ignitable adjective
or less commonly ignitible
igniter noun
or less commonly ignitor

Examples of ignite in a Sentence

The fire was ignited by sparks. The paper ignited on contact with sparks. a material that ignites easily Three wins in a row ignited the team. His proposal is igniting opposition.
Recent Examples on the Web But the feelings that that experience ignited are still very much alive. George Makari, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2024 The partnership that ignited in 1967 was honored in starry fashion Wednesday at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., where John and Taupin were presented with the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024 From fellow fire signs like Leo and Sagittarius to air signs like Gemini, here’s everything to know about Aries compatibility, according to astrologers Aries is the first sign in the astrological lineup and often referred to as the spark that ignites the rest of the zodiac. Katie Mannion, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024 The Goldman Sachs chief economist made a name for himself by making the opposite call in 2008, warning that toxic mortgages would ignite a recession. Matt Egan, CNN, 19 Mar. 2024 Since November — shortly after the Oct. 7 Hamas assault on Israel that ignited the war in Gaza — the Defense Department has documented at least 105 attacks on merchant vessels off Yemen, including about 40 over the past week. Missy Ryan, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024 According to some sources who work closely with mods, though, Huffman and other execs had simply paid too little attention to moderators’ needs recently, and in so doing inadvertently fanned the embers that would ignite a fire. Paresh Dave, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2024 The 15/16-year-old Taylor that ignited Light Me Up wasn’t the same as the 18/19-year-old Taylor behind Going to Hell. Liza Lentini, SPIN, 12 Mar. 2024 In 2019, California’s Pacific Gas & Electric filed for bankruptcy after its power lines ignited a series of destructive fires that exposed the company to tens of billions of dollars in possible damages. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ignite.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin ignitus, past participle of ignire to ignite, from ignis

First Known Use

1666, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of ignite was in 1666

Dictionary Entries Near ignite

Cite this Entry

“Ignite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ignite. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ignite

verb
ig·​nite ig-ˈnīt How to pronounce ignite (audio)
ignited; igniting
1
a
: to set on fire : light
b
: to cause (a fuel mixture) to burn
2
: to catch fire
3
: to set in motion : spark
ignite a debate
ignitable
-ˈnīt-ə-bəl
adjective
igniter noun
also ignitor

More from Merriam-Webster on ignite

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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