Definition of ignite
ignited
;igniting
transitive verb
1 : to subject to fire or intense heat; especially : to render luminous by heat
2a : to set afire; also : kindleb : to cause (a fuel) to burn
3a : to heat up : excite oppression that ignited the hatred of the peopleb : to set in motion : spark ignite a debate
intransitive verb
1 : to catch fire
2 : to begin to glow
From the M-W Editors
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 of ignite from the Web
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That was three years before a white supremacist in Charleston, S.C., shot dead nine black worshippers in an historic church, igniting a national debate on Confederate symbols.
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Keeping facilities clean of dust and equipment in good working order to reduce the possibility of igniting the dust are key to preventing explosions, the report said.
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The rockets will be released, ignite their engines and carry small satellites weighing up to 1,000 pounds (453.6 kilograms) to low Earth orbit.
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The album helped ignite the musical counterculture revolution.
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Much of my early passion for theater was ignited by Michael’s own work:
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The storms ignited a tornado warning for Ford and Iroquois counties until 5:15 p.m.
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Mr. Peck’s choreography often makes dancers look fervent, ignited; Mr. Ratmansky’s arouses their imaginations.
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The case added new fuel to nationwide outrage over violence against women ignited by the 2013 gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old medical student.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ignite'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of ignite
Latin ignitus, past participle of ignire to ignite, from ignis
First Known Use: 1666
IGNITE Defined for English Language Learners
ignite
playDefinition of ignite for English Language Learners
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: to set (something) on fire : to cause (something) to burn
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: to begin burning : to catch fire
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: to give life or energy to (someone or something)
IGNITE Defined for Kids
Learn More about ignite
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for ignite Spanish Central: Translation of ignite Nglish: Translation of ignite for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of ignite for Arabic speakers
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