to flare up
37
4.7
- phrasal verb
- /flɛr ʌp/
- During this phase, trouble flared up again, particularly in the crowded alleys of Lahore.
- flare up again
Loading YouTube…
Watch on YouTubeBut if you kick the sand, then it flares up again and that's, that's PTSD.
- But if you kick the sand, then it flares up again and that's, that's PTSD.
- I bet those feelings flare up for you.
- He would mask it through charm, but sometimes his true self would flare up.
- And then I went to university and my chronic illness flared up.
- All these things can cause inflammation in the body and therefore lead to your immune system flaring up and attacking parts of your body.
- I tend to baby my back a little bit in order to not have the pain flare up.
- When people bump into us and we think that they're being careless, we don't have to allow that to automatically flare up into a rage.
- Another trick is drink a glass of water because that typically can satiate that appetite that flares up.
- You're angry, your adrenaline flares up, your chest tightens up, your breath shortens as you're breathing, you're a lot more aggressive and you just start firing.
- My OCD flares up so much when traveling because there's so many factors that come with traveling that I have no control over.
Examples
-
Mm... it flares up from time to time.
-
I was stupid to leave my pain pills in New York... ...but it's been a while since it's flared up.
-
My old shoulder injury just flared up.
-
But every now and then your feelings flare up and that's OK.
-
When she saw that, her asthma flared up again.
-
My bursitis is really flaring up again.
-
They flare up every few months.
-
Her arthritis is flaring up, with pain in her back, her legs, and her hands.
Fiction book (1997) -
My OCD flares up so much when traveling because there's so many factors that come with traveling that I have no control over.
-
My old shoulder injury suddenly flared up after years of being fine.
Synonyms
196
3.8
To start suddenly, often with something dangerous like a fire or disease
117
4.2
To suddenly start in a strong or violent way, often showing strong feeling
80
3.4
To become more intense or make a situation more intense
62
3.4
To rise suddenly and sharply
48
4.4
To become suddenly more intense, often about anger or violence
25
4.1
Rise quickly to a much higher level
14
5.9
A body part or health problem that starts to cause pain again after getting better
5
6.7
Become suddenly stronger or easier to notice after a quiet time
3
4.6
To suddenly start burning strongly or become much more intense
2
4.9
To start burning with a strong bright flame
2
8.2
To become suddenly very angry and lose control
2
5.7
To rise very quickly to a much higher level
2
7.7
To become more active or exciting in a situation
1
4.7
To start suddenly and strongly, like an argument or a strong feeling
1
9.5
To become suddenly very severe, as a disease or symptom
Antonyms
How Intense
Surface Forms
Morphology
Both constituents contribute directly to the overall meaning: 'flare' already denotes a sudden intensification or outbreak and the particle 'up' signals an increase or escalation. This is a regular verb+particle composition that is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the parts would likely infer the meaning.
Etymology
The phrase flare up comes from the image of a small flare or flame that suddenly grows bright and jumps up. So, we use it for anger, pain, or fights that 'suddenly become stronger or worse'.