variants
or less commonly enflame
inflamed also enflamed; inflaming also enflaming
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)
1
: to burst into flame
2
: to become excited or angered
3
: to become affected with inflammation
inflamer
noun
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 on the Web
These pouches can then become inflamed or infected (diverticulitis) and cause sharp pain, fever, nausea, constipation or diarrhea; it's been described as feeling like appendicitis, but on the other side of the abdomen.
—
New Atlas, 1 July 2025
Trump's decision to send troops into Los Angeles prompted a national debate about the use of the military on U.S. soil and inflamed political tensions in the second most-populous U.S. city.
—Dietrich Knauth, USA Today, 20 June 2025
Other Democrats said the U.S. should be trying to de-escalate the conflict rather than inflame it.
—Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 18 June 2025
Those assessments inflamed controversy over the shooting, especially after officers’ body camera footage showed the three officers who shot at Tovar opened fire within seconds of seeing him.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for inflame
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New Atlas, 1 July 2025
Trump's decision to send troops into Los Angeles prompted a national debate about the use of the military on U.S. soil and inflamed political tensions in the second most-populous U.S. city.
—Dietrich Knauth, USA Today, 20 June 2025
Other Democrats said the U.S. should be trying to de-escalate the conflict rather than inflame it.
—Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 18 June 2025
Those assessments inflamed controversy over the shooting, especially after officers’ body camera footage showed the three officers who shot at Tovar opened fire within seconds of seeing him.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for inflame
Cite this Entry
“Inflame.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inflame. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
inflame
verb
in·flame
in-ˈflām 
inflamed; inflaming
: to cause inflammation in (bodily tissue)
inflame the sinuses
: to become affected with inflammation
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