Library / English Dictionary

INFLAME

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Become inflamed; get sore

Example:

His throat inflamed

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Hypernyms (to "inflame" is one way to...):

decline; worsen (grow worse)

Verb group:

inflame (cause inflammation in)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

inflammation (a response of body tissues to injury or irritation; characterized by pain and swelling and redness and heat)

inflammatory (characterized or caused by inflammation)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Cause inflammation in

Example:

The repetitive motion inflamed her joint

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Hypernyms (to "inflame" is one way to...):

aggravate; exacerbate; exasperate; worsen (make worse)

Verb group:

inflame (become inflamed; get sore)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

inflammation (a response of body tissues to injury or irritation; characterized by pain and swelling and redness and heat)

inflammatory (characterized or caused by inflammation)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Arouse or excite feelings and passions

Example:

Wake old feelings of hatred

Synonyms:

fire up; heat; ignite; inflame; stir up; wake

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Hypernyms (to "inflame" is one way to...):

arouse; elicit; enkindle; evoke; fire; kindle; provoke; raise (call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "inflame"):

ferment (work up into agitation or excitement)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

inflaming; inflammation (arousal to violent emotion)

inflammatory (arousing to action or rebellion)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Cause to start burning

Example:

The setting sun kindled the sky with oranges and reds

Synonyms:

conflagrate; enkindle; inflame; kindle

Classified under:

Verbs of raining, snowing, thawing, thundering

Hypernyms (to "inflame" is one way to...):

ignite; light (cause to start burning; subject to fire or great heat)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "inflame"):

rekindle (kindle anew, as of a fire)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

inflammation (the act of setting something on fire)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Catch fire

Example:

The dried grass of the prairie kindled, spreading the flames for miles

Synonyms:

inflame; kindle

Classified under:

Verbs of raining, snowing, thawing, thundering

Hypernyms (to "inflame" is one way to...):

flare up (ignite quickly and suddenly, especially after having died down)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

inflammation (the act of setting something on fire)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Your doctor may take a sample of fluid from an inflamed joint to look for crystals.

(Gout, NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

The wet wood which I had placed near the heat dried and itself became inflamed.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

“Am I to be preached to by a child?” he cried, staring across at Alleyne with an inflamed and angry countenance.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A cell found in peripheral blood, lymphoid tissue, and some inflamed tissue.

(Plasmacytoid Monocyte, NCI Thesaurus)

Peptic ulcers form when cells on the surface of the lining become inflamed and die.

(Peptic Ulcer, NCI Dictionary)

A vascular connective tissue formed on the surface of a healing wound, ulcer, or inflamed tissue.

(Granulation Tissue, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

PECAM-1 mediates the migration of monocytes and other immune cells into inflamed tissues through interaction with vascular endothelial cells.

(Monocyte Phagocytosis and Adhesion Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

A condition in which the female reproductive organs are inflamed.

(Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, NCI Dictionary)

An abscess is a sign of infection and is usually swollen and inflamed.

(Abscess, NCI Dictionary)

Injured, inflamed, or damaged cartilage can cause symptoms such as pain and limited movement.

(Cartilage Disorders, NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)