1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

inflame

verb

in-ˈflām How to pronounce inflame (audio)
variants also enflame
Definition of inflamenext
1
as in to infuriate
to make angry the newspaper editorial inflamed her enough to inspire her to dash off a letter to the editor

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to burn
to set (something) on fire a carelessly tossed cigarette inflamed the papers in the trash can

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of inflame The race has inflamed tensions within the Democratic Party over how to energize liberal voters. — Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 24 Aug. 2026 The same driver mutation, when introduced into different genetic backgrounds, elicited different responses in the circuits that govern whether a cell keeps dividing, specializes, becomes inflamed or dies. — William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026 The race has already inflamed tensions within the Democratic Party over how to energize liberal voters eager for unapologetic, combative candidates while not alienating independents and moderates who have been key to winning in battlegrounds. — Matt Brown, Fortune, 19 Aug. 2026 Appendicitis is considered a medical emergency and occurs when the organ gets sore or inflamed. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inflame
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflame
  1. infuriate
  2. burn
  3. anger
  4. ignite
  5. enrage
  6. scorch
  7. irritate
  8. light
Verb
  • Sydney Sweeney is no stranger to starring in a controversial ad — and her latest effort has infuriated female athletes, including Olympians.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 14 Sep. 2026
  • But Marcia was beginning to sound like Marcia on the page, Marcia in those essays that both excited and infuriated her readers.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of infuriate
Verb
  • Some of her other drawings show animals disorientated in burning forests.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The Isles bled scoring chances last year, which eventually weighed on Ilya Sorokin and burned the team down the stretch.
    — Max Bultman, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of burn
Verb
  • But Trump’s solution, to import 300,000 metric tons of beef and sell it at a reduced cost, angered American ranchers.
    — Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Rebecca regrets angering Matthijs (Matteo van der Grijn) after putting his daughter in the middle of a heated discussion around the possibility of Matthijs moving to London.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of anger
Verb
  • Give up explosive plays at a similar rate, and the Vikings aren’t likely to be close enough to ignite the energy that came pouring out in the fourth quarter.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • That ignited a recovery in the broader stock market, which brought the S & P 500 and Nasdaq up towards the flat line.
    — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of ignite
Verb
  • Marie-Louise is enraged one minute, subservient the next, bullying the staff while throwing banquets for Nazi officials.
    — David Denby, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The hiring of the Catalan content creator, however, has only served to enrage the public, rather than enticing them to watch the race.
    — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of enrage
Verb
  • Sudan’s civil war turned its national museum into a battlefield and crime scene, with ancient statues shattered, skeletal remains scorched and vaults of gold looted.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The right side of the plane had what appeared to be scorch marks.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of scorch
Verb
  • Leftover detergent or fabric softener can irritate skin and cause itching or redness in some individuals.
    — Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Excessive or undiluted consumption of ACV, for example, can irritate your gastrointestinal tract, erode tooth enamel, and potentially interact with certain medications, said Walker.
    — Sherri Gordon, HEALTH, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of irritate
Verb
  • Bathrooms have soaking tubs and separate shower areas, rainforest shower heads, lighted make-up mirrors, and plush robes.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Many are lit by Baccarat chandeliers — which can go for up to $250,000 each.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of light

Browse Nearby Words

infixing
inflame
inflamed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Inflame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflame. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of watershed

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All