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

The strongest evidence sits with clinic-grade lasers used by veterinarians as an adjunct for arthritis, wound healing and inflammatory conditions. — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2026

Piker, for his part, has become a regular target for Republicans who are doing their best to make sure his inflammatory comments are tied to Democrats, in particular Michigan Senate hopeful Abdul el Sayed. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 24 Sep. 2026

Speaking at recent investor conferences, Gilead Sciences’ top executives have been emphatically bullish about the biotech’s years-long push to develop drugs for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. — Adam Feuerstein, STAT, 24 Sep. 2026

Some of its members have advocated for open borders, and believe gender is a social construct, both of which have been fodder for inflammatory social media content from those seeking to discredit the philosophy. — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 23 Sep. 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.