inflame

verb in·flame \ in-ˈflām \

variants: or less commonly enflame

|Updated on: 15 Jun 2018

Examples: inflame in a Sentence

Definition of inflame

inflamed also enflamed; inflaming also enflaming

transitive verb

1 a : to excite to excessive or uncontrollable action or feeling; especially : to make angry

b : to make more heated or violent : intensify

insults served only to inflame the feud

2 : to set on fire : kindle

3 : to cause to redden or grow hot from anger or excitement

a face inflamed with passion

4 : to cause inflammation in (bodily tissue)

intransitive verb

1 : to burst into flame

2 : to become excited or angered

3 : to become affected with inflammation

—

inflamer

noun

See inflame defined for English-language learners

See inflame defined for kids

Examples of inflame in a Sentence

His angry speech inflamed the mob.
ideas that inflame the imagination
His comments have inflamed an already tense situation.
inflaming the passions of the mob
a chemical that can inflame the skin

Recent Examples of inflame from the Web

This is because your eyelashes are close to your Meibomian glands, and if those are always inflamed, your eyelashes might fall out as a result, Dr. Massaro-Giordano says.

— korin miller, SELF, "10 Symptoms of Blepharitis, a Bizarre Condition That Can Affect Your Eyes," 7 June 2018
Nothing seems to inflame him more than partisan grandstanding interfering with his idea of sensible policy.

— jennifer szalai, New York Times, "The Cry of the Centrist: In ‘Tailspin,’ Steven Brill Bemoans a Polarized America," 5 June 2018
If the outcry that followed inflamed the already contentious debate about immigration, the president managed to pour another helping of gasoline on the fire a day later.

— graeme mcmillan, WIRED, "While You Were Offline: Wait, John Kelly Said What?," 20 May 2018
Today, although most researchers agree that a hypersensitive trigeminovascular system is likely the source of pain in migraines, few would argue that CSD is the only or most important factor in inflaming it, Moskowitz says.

— emily underwood, Science | AAAS, "Will antibodies finally put an end to migraines?," 18 May 2018
Burundi holds a referendum Thursday on constitutional changes that would set the stage for another East African leader to rule for the next 16 years, amid warnings the vote may inflame a three-year political crisis that’s cost hundreds of lives.

— samuel gebre, Bloomberg.com, "Burundi Vote Likely to Extend Leader's Rule, Stoke Violence," 16 May 2018
Children are weaned from ineffective opioid medications, and may be prescribed other medications to calm inflamed or overactive nerves, manage anxiety and treat depressive symptoms.

— andrea k. mcdaniels, baltimoresun.com, "Treat pain in children differently than adults," 3 May 2018
To watch him campaign right now is to see a lifelong politician trying to work through the problem that November poses for Republicans like him, with Donald Trump in the White House and Democratic voters inflamed.

— craig gilbert, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Wary of GOP complacency, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker braces for a possible 'blue wave'," 19 Apr. 2018
Many fear a new one would inflame sectarian tensions—for good reason.

— The Economist, "Lebanon’s political system leads to paralysis and corruption," 19 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'inflame.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.