highly inflammable
- adjective
- /ˈhaɪli ɪnˈflæməbl/
:
altamente inflamable
- The old shed was filled with highly inflammable materials, making it dangerous to light a fire nearby.
Examples
-
Whatever substance the book had been made of was highly inflammable once it had dried out.
Fiction book (1993) -
A highly inflammable situation.
-
Since it doesn't appear to be whiskey... and since it seems to be of highly inflammable and dangerous liquid... I find there's only one thing to do, Mr. Meacham: Destroy it.
-
Due to the drought, the grass in the fields has become highly inflammable, increasing the risk of wildfires.
-
Be careful with that liquid; it's highly inflammable and can catch fire easily if exposed to a spark.
Synonyms
41
2.8
Able to catch fire and burn quickly
18
5.1
Easily catches fire and burns
12
8.3
Able to start fires and burn very quickly
3
4.3
Easily catches fire and burns quickly
2
5.2
Easily set on fire and burns quickly
1
2.3
Able to catch fire and be destroyed by fire
Able to catch fire and burn easily
Able to catch fire and burn
Can burn easily
Antonyms
How Flammable
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'highly' (extremely) simply intensifies 'inflammable' (readily ignited), yielding 'very easily capable of catching fire'. This modifier + adjective pattern is common and predictable, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will understand the MWE.
Etymology
Highly inflammable comes from the old verb inflame, which meant 'to set on fire'. Imagine a dry cloth that bursts into flame from a small spark; highly makes it very likely to burn, so the phrase means 'very easy to catch fire'.