inflame

verb in·flame \ in-ˈflām \

variants: or less commonly enflame

Updated on: 18 May 2018

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

But, Ruiz countered, America's decision to move its embassy only inflamed the situation.

— carli teproff, miamiherald, "Gaza violence, embassy opening in Israel divide South Florida," 14 May 2018
Its ubiquity, too, inflamed the kind of lazy criticism that seeks to invalidate the precision, thunder, and totality of artistic exceptionalism (this is especially true when cultivated outside the white mainstream).

— jason parham, WIRED, "Beyoncé, Kendrick, Kanye, and How the World Seeks to Limit Black Genius," 20 Apr. 2018
These lasers produce a pulse of pressure waves deep below the skin’s surface to inflame it, thereby stimulating new collagen growth.

— jessica chia, Allure, "Dermatologists Explain the Best Laser Treatments for Dark Skin Tones," 19 Apr. 2018
Instead of calming the throng, the deputy governor only inflamed it by suggesting that some people were exploiting the tragedy to attract attention.

— andrew higgins, BostonGlobe.com, "For Putin, mall fire is bigger headache than diplomatic feud with West," 27 Mar. 2018
Norovirus inflames the stomach and/or intestines and causes pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

— diana gitig, Ars Technica, "We’ve found the cells norovirus targets—we just don’t know what they do," 14 Apr. 2018
The sunstroke weakened his immune system, likely causing the West Nile to develop into meningitis, an infection that inflames the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

— gabriel thompson, Longreads, "Coachella, Underground," 12 Apr. 2018
As Mueller’s command of the Russia probe nears its one-year anniversary, Trump is increasingly relying on legal advice from lawyers who could inflame his worst impulses instead of those who might counsel restraint.

— matt ford, The New Republic, "The Worst Job in Washington," 22 Mar. 2018
The Nordic countries and the Netherlands meanwhile argue that stricter rules on Chinese investment could inflame trade tensions, even as the global trade environment worsens.

— The Economist, "Europeans fret that Chinese investment is a security risk," 22 Mar. 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.