inflame

verb

in·flame | \ in-ˈflām

variants: or less commonly enflame

inflamed also enflamed; inflaming also enflaming

Definition of inflame

transitive verb

1a : 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

Other Words from inflame Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about inflame

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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

Beautifully acted by its ensemble of mostly non-professional actors, The Citizen puts a very human face on a topic that has inflamed much of the Western world. — Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Citizen': Film Review," 5 July 2018 Jose Maria Sison said Duterte wants the guerrillas to surrender without addressing the social ills that have inflamed one of Asia’s longest communist rebellions. — Jim Gomez, BostonGlobe.com, "Communist rebels tell Philippine leader: No more talks," 28 June 2018 Trump’s approval rating among Republicans nationwide is around 90%, and the president has shown comfort in appealing to his base by saying things that inflame his critics. — David Montero, latimes.com, "Contrasting views as Trump visits Nevada: 'Best president we've ever had' to fears that 'it could get worse'," 24 June 2018 None would speak on the record for fear of inflaming tensions further between the two sides, but there was a palpable sense that the Working Families Party had been kicked into a corner, and had no choice but to fight back. — David Freedlander, Daily Intelligencer, "Working Families Party Mulls All-out War With Cuomo," 7 June 2018 The gesture is likely to inflame tensions between Serb nationalists and ethnic Albanians. — BostonGlobe.com, "Switzerland notches World Cup’s first comeback win," 22 June 2018 Try to exercise regularly, but take precautions not to inflame your asthma. — Korin Miller, SELF, "Winter Is Coming—Here’s How to Keep It From Affecting Your Asthma," 23 Oct. 2018 Some of these personas were posing as progressives and liberals, and trying to inflame passions from the left, including by attacking Trump. — Andrew Prokop, Vox, "Justice Department charges Russian national with conspiring to interfere with 2018 midterms," 19 Oct. 2018 The social media giant was heavily criticized for permitting itself to be used to inflame ethnic and religious conflict in the country, particularly against minority Rohingya Muslims. — Victoria Milko, The Seattle Times, "Facebook bans Myanmar military chief, others to stop hate," 28 Aug. 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.