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
Synonyms
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
The references to Harvey Weinstein are simply meant to inflame and appear to be plagiarized from prior cases against Mr. Weinstein.
—
Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2024
The incident has sparked a widespread outcry in France as the country contends with rising antisemitism since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, and has inflamed accusations of antisemitism ahead of contentious elections set for June 30 and July 7.
—Gabrielle Nolin, NBC News, 20 June 2024
And using a spiked mat is probably not a good idea if your skin is already irritated, inflamed, or otherwise wounded.
—Beatrice Zocchi, Vogue, 17 June 2024
Recent history is rife with examples of failures to plan for this period directly contributing to bad actors seizing opportunities, accelerating insurgencies, enabling terrorism, and inflaming additional cycles of violence.
—Dana Stroul, Foreign Affairs, 20 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for inflame 
Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2024
The incident has sparked a widespread outcry in France as the country contends with rising antisemitism since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, and has inflamed accusations of antisemitism ahead of contentious elections set for June 30 and July 7.
—Gabrielle Nolin, NBC News, 20 June 2024
And using a spiked mat is probably not a good idea if your skin is already irritated, inflamed, or otherwise wounded.
—Beatrice Zocchi, Vogue, 17 June 2024
Recent history is rife with examples of failures to plan for this period directly contributing to bad actors seizing opportunities, accelerating insurgencies, enabling terrorism, and inflaming additional cycles of violence.
—Dana Stroul, Foreign Affairs, 20 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for inflame
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inflame.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Inflame.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inflame. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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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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