variants
or less commonly enflame
inflamed also enflamed; inflaming also enflaming
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)
1
: to burst into flame
2
: to become excited or angered
3
: to become affected with inflammation
inflamer
noun
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
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke out on Monday after the country launched missile strikes on a U.S. military base in Qatar in retaliation—an escalation that further inflamed tensions across the region.
—
Gabe Whisnant
hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
Trump activated 2,000 Natural Guard troops without receiving approval from California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) or Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D), who argued that bringing in the reinforcements would inflame tensions in the city.
—Mychael Schnell, The Hill, 23 June 2025
Pimple patches can create a healthy environment for healing a pimple, and effectively flatten inflamed pimples that sit on the surface of your skin.
—Caroline C. Boyle, USA Today, 20 June 2025
The condition occurs when the band of connective tissue spanning your arch, called your plantar fascia, becomes inflamed and irritated, which can happen for a bunch of reasons—after all, plantar fasciitis plagues as many as two million people yearly in the US.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for inflame
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Gabe Whisnant
hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
Trump activated 2,000 Natural Guard troops without receiving approval from California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) or Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D), who argued that bringing in the reinforcements would inflame tensions in the city.
—Mychael Schnell, The Hill, 23 June 2025
Pimple patches can create a healthy environment for healing a pimple, and effectively flatten inflamed pimples that sit on the surface of your skin.
—Caroline C. Boyle, USA Today, 20 June 2025
The condition occurs when the band of connective tissue spanning your arch, called your plantar fascia, becomes inflamed and irritated, which can happen for a bunch of reasons—after all, plantar fasciitis plagues as many as two million people yearly in the US.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for inflame
Cite this Entry
“Inflame.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inflame. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.
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Medical Definition
inflame
verb
in·flame
in-ˈflām 
inflamed; inflaming
: to cause inflammation in (bodily tissue)
inflame the sinuses
: to become affected with inflammation
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