inflame

play

verb in·flame \in-ˈflām\

variants: or less commonly

enflame

Definition of inflame

inflamed

also

enflamed

;

inflaming

also

enflaming

transitive verb
1a : to excite to excessive or uncontrollable action or feeling; especially : to make angryb : 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

Moving the embassy risked infuriating Palestinians, who claim east Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, and inflaming regional tensions.

— associated press, Fox News, "PROMISES, PROMISES: How Trump handled international pledges", 1 June 2017
And it was further inflamed Tuesday … when Trump fired a white-hot shot straight at Berlin’s glass-and-concrete chancellery.

— james hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: The GOP's invisible agenda", 31 May 2017
And it was further inflamed Tuesday at 6:40 a.m. Washington time when Trump fired a white-hot shot straight at Berlin's glass-and-concrete chancellery.

— michael birnbaum and rick noack, chicagotribune.com, "Germans perplexed as Trump escalates feud with Berlin", 30 May 2017
The lack of a vote further inflamed some of those present.

— julie k. brown, miamiherald, "Packed crowd slams Fernandez Rundle for handling of Rainey case", 30 May 2017
The doctors concluded the parasite had inflamed the eye muscles and the treatment had eased the inflammation—and with it, the cross eyes.

— National Geographic, "How Do You Do Eye Surgery on a 600-Pound Tiger?", 27 May 2017
The inflaming and legitimizing of peoples’ darkest, basest impulses to find entertainment.

— hilary howard, New York Times, "How Jo Miller of ‘Full Frontal With Samantha Bee’ Spends Her Sundays", 26 May 2017
Besides that, inspiring such attacks is also a way to pit communities against each other, inflame anti-Muslim sentiment, and sow discord among Muslim communities and with the wider society.

— amarnath amarasingam, The Atlantic, "ISIS's Perverse, Bloody Interpretation of Ramadan", 26 May 2017
Huge projects like this always inflame passions and incite litigation.

— zach rosenberg, WIRED, "NIMBY Won’t Stop California High-Speed Rail", 23 Oct. 2009

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.

Origin and Etymology of inflame

Middle English enflamen, from Anglo-French enflamer, from Latin inflammare, from in- + flamma flame

First Known Use: 14th century

INFLAME Defined for English Language Learners

inflame

play

verb

Definition of inflame for English Language Learners

: to cause (a person or group) to become angry or violent
: to make (something) more active, angry, or violent
: to cause (a part of your body) to grow sore, red, and swollen

INFLAME Defined for Kids

inflame

verb in·flame \in-ˈflām\

Definition of inflame for Students

inflamed

;

inflaming

1 : to make more active, excited, angry, or violent His words inflamed the crowd.
2 : to cause to redden or grow hot (as from anger)
3 : to make or become sore, red, and swollen The chemical can inflame the skin.