ablaze

adjective

ə-ˈblāz 

1

: being on fire

—not used before a noun

The house was ablaze.

2

a

: radiant with light or emotion

—not used before a noun

The sky was ablaze with color.

Her eyes were ablaze with anger.

b

: being in a state of great excitement or energy

—not used before a noun

Social media was ablaze with the news.

ablaze adverb

Lightning set the forest ablaze.

The news set the Internet ablaze.

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

Another person calling from PoorHouse said the whole building was ablaze but hung up upon realizing the police had already arrived. — Zoey Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 10 Nov. 2026

Anger spilled into violence, with Molotov cocktails hurled at Tesla vehicles, charging stations set ablaze, and dealerships covered in graffiti. — ABC News, 6 Nov. 2026

The sky is ablaze with fiery colors all along the horizon where the deep lunar shadow drops off. — IEEE Spectrum, 5 Nov. 2026

Angry port workers in Barcelona, Spain set a barricade ablaze Wednesday, blocking access to a cruise terminal and forcing passengers to haul their luggage on foot, according to local reports. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 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
• atpase
• ballets

Kids Definition

ablaze

adjective

ə-ˈblāz 

1

: being on fire

2

: radiant with light or bright color