ignite

1 of 2

verb

ig·​nite ig-ˈnīt 

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

ig-ˌnī-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

ignitable adjective

or less commonly ignitible

ig-ˈnī-tə-bəl 

igniter noun

or less commonly ignitor

ig-ˈnī-tər 

igniter

2 of 2

noun

ig·​nit·​er

variants or ignitor

-ītə(r) 

plural -s

: one that ignites: such as

a

: a charge usually of black gunpowder used to facilitate the ignition of a propelling charge and sometimes of a bursting charge

b

: a device for igniting fuel mixture (as in an internal-combustion engine, a jet engine, or a rocket engine)

c

: a separately energized electrode used for restriking the arc in an ignitron

Synonyms of ignite

Verb

• burn
• scorch
• light
• inflame
• fire

Examples of ignite in a Sentence

Verb

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

Verb

Confronting the Nixon administration, the activists held the notorious former prison for 19 months, igniting a movement — America’s greatest civil rights story never told. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2026

The James Madison transfer broke the deadlock against Maryland on a fourth-and-one near midfield, taking a direct snap 45 yards to the house and igniting scoring that seemingly never stopped. — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026

Still, the perception that the food supply is riskier has been enough to ignite political rancor. — Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026

Many designs rely on a scramjet, or supersonic combustion ramjet, which uses the missile’s forward motion to compress incoming air before mixing it with fuel and igniting it. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

1666, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Phrases Containing ignite

• self-ignite

Rhymes for ignite

• affright
• airtight
• albite
• alight
• alright
• aplite
• aright
• bainite
• birthright
• bobwhite
• bornite
• bullfight

Kids Definition

ignite

verb

ig·​nite ig-ˈnīt 

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

-ˈnīt-ər