inflammatory

adjective

in·​flam·​ma·​to·​ry in-ˈfla-mə-ˌtȯr-ē 

1

: tending to excite anger, disorder, or tumult

inflammatory remarks

argued that the evidence was only inflammatory and not probative of guilt

2

: tending to inflame or excite the senses

3

: accompanied by or tending to cause inflammation

inflammatorily

in-ˌfla-mə-ˈtȯr-ə-lē 

adverb

Synonyms of inflammatory

• provocative
• seditious
• incendiary

Examples of inflammatory in a Sentence

She had an acute inflammatory reaction to the drug.

He incited the mob with an inflammatory speech.

Recent Examples on the Web

Zura Bio said its experimental antibody tibulizumab failed to improve the symptoms of hidradenitis suppurativa, an inflammatory skin condition, compared to a placebo in a mid-stage study. — Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 9 Nov. 2026

That had led to an inflammatory reaction of the blood supply to the stomach, causing a clot in his liver and a bowel blockage. — News Editor, CBS News, 7 Nov. 2026

The runway show is Yeezy’s latest effort to rebuild its business after its multibillion-dollar partnership with Adidas ended in October 2022 amid controversy over Ye’s antisemitic remarks and other inflammatory statements. — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026

By replacing saturated fats, which can trigger inflammation, monounsaturated fats help regulate the body’s inflammatory response. — Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 4 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1711, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing inflammatory

• anti-inflammatory
• inflammatory bowel disease
• multisystem inflammatory syndrome
• multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children
• pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome
• pelvic inflammatory disease
• pro-inflammatory

Rhymes for inflammatory

• accusatory
• admonitory
• ambulatory
• amendatory
• celebratory
• circulatory
• combinatory
• commendatory
• compensatory
• condemnatory
• confirmatory
• confiscatory

Kids Definition

inflammatory

adjective

in·​flam·​ma·​to·​ry in-ˈflam-ə-ˌtōr-ē 

-ˌtȯr-

1

: stirring up anger, disorder, or rebellion

inflammatory speeches

2

: causing or accompanied by inflammation

inflammatory diseases

Medical Definition

inflammatory

adjective

in·​flam·​ma·​to·​ry in-ˈflam-ə-ˌtōr-ē, -ˌtȯr- 

: accompanied by or tending to cause inflammation

inflammatory diseases

Legal Definition

inflammatory

noun

in·​flam·​ma·​to·​ry

in-ˈfla-mə-ˌtōr-ē

: tending to cause anger, animosity, or indignation

the use of an alias by a defendant is…almost always inflammatory

—F. D. Doucette

Note: Evidence, and especially photographic evidence, may be deemed inadmissible if its inflammatory nature seriously outweighs its probative value or relevance. The mere fact that evidence is graphic or gruesome, however, is not enough to render it inadmissible.