ablaze

adjective or adverb

ə-ˈblāz 

1

: being on fire

2

: radiant with light or emotion

… his face all ablaze with excitement.

—Bram Stoker

Synonyms of ablaze

• burning
• blazing
• flaming
• aflame
• flickering

Examples of ablaze in a Sentence

the entire block was ablaze by the time firefighters arrived

that night the ballroom, ablaze with light, looked very different from the curtained room it usually was by day

Recent Examples on the Web

Tillman was accused of backing his vehicle through the front door of the post office during the early morning on July 20 and setting the vehicle ablaze after exiting it. —Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026

Mobs attacked television vans and set cars ablaze as overrun hospitals struggled to cope with scores of injured people. —Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026

People trying to melt snow keep setting homes ablaze. —Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026

And they’re also saturated with very flammable eucalyptus oil, turning them into tree bombs when set ablaze. —Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 28 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

a- entry 1 + blaze entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1676, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ablaze

• set something afire/aflame/ablaze

Rhymes for ablaze

• airways
• allays
• always
• amaze
• anglaise
• appraise
• archways
• arrays
• ashtrays
• assays
• ballets
• berets

Kids Definition

ablaze

adjective

ə-ˈblāz 

1

: being on fire

2

: radiant with light or bright color