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
In pneumonia, the lung sacs where air is exchanged, called alveoli, become inflamed and filled with pus and fluid.
—
Judy Stone, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
Too much irritation can inflame and damage the airway, potentially resulting in breathing issues.
—Matt Fuchs, TIME, 21 Feb. 2025
That inflamed Republican legislators who urged the board to vote down the changes, saying more transparency was needed.
—Stephen Hobbs, Sacramento Bee, 20 Feb. 2025
The years of Thatcherism both exposed class divisions and inflamed them; money, and the scramble for it, also created a new kind of equality, the equality of opportunism.
—Rachel Cusk, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inflame
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Judy Stone, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
Too much irritation can inflame and damage the airway, potentially resulting in breathing issues.
—Matt Fuchs, TIME, 21 Feb. 2025
That inflamed Republican legislators who urged the board to vote down the changes, saying more transparency was needed.
—Stephen Hobbs, Sacramento Bee, 20 Feb. 2025
The years of Thatcherism both exposed class divisions and inflamed them; money, and the scramble for it, also created a new kind of equality, the equality of opportunism.
—Rachel Cusk, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inflame
Articles Related to inflame
Cite this Entry
“Inflame.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inflame. Accessed 1 Mar. 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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