inflame

English

Etymology

From Middle English *enflammen, enflawmen, from Old French enflammer (“to inflame”), from Latin inflammō (“to kindle, set on fire”, v), from in (“in, on”) + flamma (“flame”), equivalent to in- +‎ flame.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -eɪm

Verb

inflame (third-person singular simple present inflames, present participle inflaming, simple past and past participle inflamed)

1. To set on fire; to kindle; to cause to burn, flame, or glow.
2. (figuratively) To kindle or intensify, as passion or appetite; to excite to an excessive or unnatural action or heat; as, to inflame desire.
3. To provoke to anger or rage; to exasperate; to irritate; to incense; to enrage.
4. To put in a state of inflammation; to produce morbid heat, congestion, or swelling, of; as, to inflame the eyes by overwork.
5. To exaggerate; to enlarge upon.
   • 1773, Oliver Goldsmith, She Stoops to Conquer

     As you say, we passengers are to be taxed to pay all these fineries. I have often seen a good sideboard, or a marble chimney-piece, though not actually put in the bill, inflame a reckoning confoundedly.

6. To grow morbidly hot, congested, or painful; to become angry or incensed.

Synonyms

• provoke
• fire
• kindle
• irritate
• exasperate
• incense
• enrage
• anger
• excite
• arouse

Related terms

• inflammable
• inflammatory
• inflammation

Translations

to set on fire

• Finnish: sytyttää (fi)
• German: anzünden, entflammen
• Italian: incendiare (it)

• Sardinian:

  Logudorese Sardinian: affoghizare

to kindle or intensify

• Finnish: herättää (fi)

• German: anregen

to provoke to anger or rage

• Finnish: lietsoa (fi)

• German: aufregen (de), erzürnen (de)

to put in a state of inflammation

• Czech: zanít (cs)
• Finnish: tulehduttaa (fi)

• German: sich entzünden
• Portuguese: inflamar (pt)

to exaggerate

• Finnish: liioitella (fi)

• German: aufpeitschen

to grow morbidly hot, congested, or painful

• Finnish: tulehtua (fi)

• German: aufbrausen

External links

• inflame in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• inflame in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

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Portuguese

Verb

inflame

1. First-person singular (eu) present subjunctive of inflamar
2. Third-person singular (ele, ela, also used with tu and você^?) present subjunctive of inflamar
3. Third-person singular (você) affirmative imperative of inflamar
4. Third-person singular (você) negative imperative of inflamar

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Spanish

Verb

inflame (infinitive inflamar)

1. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of inflamar.
2. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of inflamar.
3. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of inflamar.