Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

flare

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of flare

1 a sudden and usually temporary growth of activity

  • a flare in gift card sales around graduation time
Synonyms of flare

burst, flare-up, flash, flicker, flurry, flutter, outbreak, outburst, spurt
Words Related to flare

recrudescence, recurrence, renewal

binge, jag, spree

boost, increase, pickup, upswing, upturn

epidemic, eruption, explosion, paroxysm

deluge, flood, rush, spate, surge, volley

commotion, furor, uproar
Near Antonyms of flare

calm, doldrums, slump

2 a sudden intense expression of strong feeling

  • ended the quarrel with a stunning flare of swearwords
Synonyms of flare

agony, blaze, burst, ebullition, eruption, explosion, fit, flare-up, flash, flush, gale, gush, gust, outburst, paroxysm, spasm, storm
Words Related to flare

blowup, grouch, rage, tantrum

ecstasy, rapture, transport

delirium, firestorm, frenzy, furor

3 the steady giving off of the form of radiation that makes vision possible

  • in the darkness the flare of a single match might be seen by enemy troops
Synonyms of flare

blaze, fluorescence, glare, gleam, glow, illumination, incandescence, light, luminescence, radiance, shine
Words Related to flare

flash, glimmer, glint, glitter, scintillation, shimmer, sparkle, twinkle

daylight, moonlight, sunlight, sunshine

afterglow, aureole (or aureola), aurora, beam, halo, ray, shaft, streak, stream, sunbeam

glisten, gloss, luster (or lustre), polish, reflection, sheen
Near Antonyms of flare

blackness, dark, darkness, dimness, dusk, duskiness, gloom, night, shadow

flare

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of flare

to shine with a bright harsh light

  • floodlights flaring into the forbidding empty spaces surrounding the prison
Synonyms of flare

beat, blaze, burn, flame, glare
Words Related to flare

beam, glow, radiate

flash, glance, gleam, glimmer, glint, glisten, glister, glitter, scintillate, shimmer, sparkle, twinkle

bedazzle, blind, daze, dazzle

Learn More about flare

  1. See words that rhyme with flare Dictionary: Definition of flare Medical Dictionary: Definition of flare Spanish Central: Translation of flare Nglish: Translation of flare for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of flare for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about flare

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up flare? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games