aflame

adjective

ə-ˈflām 

1

: being on fire

—not used before a noun

While the trees were aflame, many of the residents were alarmed …

—Scott Stafford

2

: being in a state of great excitement or energy

—not used before a noun

… Twitter was aflame with upset parents.

—Jessica Grose

This … will help individuals find even more spark with their partners and keep the passion aflame in their relationship.

—PR Newswire

aflame adverb

… a hard, salty cheese … is pan-seared until bubbling and gooey, then set aflame at the table …

—Karon Liu

This season, [James] Harden has set the NBA world aflame.

—Cole McCauley

Synonyms of aflame

• burning
• blazing
• flaming
• afire
• flickering
• ignited
• smoldering

Examples of aflame in a Sentence

the kindling in the wood stove was aflame as soon as I held a match to it

Recent Examples on the Web

Located right in Mystic is the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center, which offers numerous hiking trails winding through forests of stately oaks, red maples, and American beech trees aflame with color. — Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026

Tired of grinding out a living in Vegas, ballerina-turned-showgirl Michelle (Sutton Foster) finally agrees to marry Hubbell (Alan Ruck), a longtime suitor who doesn’t exactly set her heart aflame. — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026

The gas station was already aflame, when policeman Mykhailo Tsypliakov and his colleagues ran in to help. — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 31 July 2026

But the action is nullified by the fact that Ono assumes the stoic posture of the Buddhist monks seen in the news at the time setting themselves aflame in protest of the Vietnam War. — Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

a- entry 1 + flame entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing aflame

• set something afire/aflame/ablaze

Rhymes for aflame

• acclaim
• airframe
• ballgame
• became
• declaim
• defame
• disclaim
• doorframe
• exclaim
• inflame
• mainframe
• nickname

Kids Definition

aflame

adjective or adverb

ə-ˈflām 

: afire