to inflame

Examples

• All

• - I'm sure we are all in agreement that we must do nothing for the moment that will further inflame the current situation.

  The Iron Lady (2011)

• Thus, economic hardship is likely to further inflame an already explosive situation.

  Academic text (1999)

• The speeches inflame the people.

  Jesus (1999)

• I'd encourage you... ...not to inflame this situation... ...beyond the facts.

  Contact (1997)

• If you print something like that, all you're going to do is inflame the situation.

  Fiction book (2000)

• I thought about going to comfort them, but it would only have inflamed the situation.

  I Capture the Castle (2003)

• But now, instead of helping to heal old wounds, it's threatening to inflame them.

  Academic text (2004)

• And of course, news of this reached home and only inflamed tensions.

  The Great War

• The development proposals led to a politically inflamed debate in Melaka city and state.

  Academic text (1993)

• But these groups' emergence has only further inflamed Republican purists, who see them as sectarian, divisive, and unpatriotic.

  Academic text (2006)

Synonyms

S

to stir

vsto inflame

221 3.7

To make someone feel a strong emotion

often suggests direct strengthening of feelings, whereas this can be more neutral

W

to wake

vsto inflame

212 4.8

To make someone feel strong emotions or remember something

usually means increase negative feelings specifically rather than simply alerting

F

to fire

vsto inflame

186 4.8

To cause strong feeling or excitement in someone

is more about increasing negative feelings specifically than general inspiration

P

to provoke

vsto inflame

134 3.7

Cause a reaction or feeling

can be less about increasing emotions and more about causing a reaction

S

to stir up

vsto inflame

126 4.8

To make people feel strong emotions like anger or fear

may increase feelings without the deliberate public provocation this does

F

to fire up

vsto inflame

• Informal

124 4.1

Make people feel excited and ready to act

leans more toward intensifying negative emotions rather than general excitement

H

to heighten

vsto inflame

120 4.1

To make a feeling, effect or situation stronger

is focused on increasing negative feelings, not any effect or situation

A

to anger

vsto inflame

103 1.0

To make someone very upset or annoyed

is broader, applying to various negative emotions rather than one type

I

to intensify

vsto inflame

99 4.0

Make something stronger or more intense

is specific to feelings, especially negative, whereas this is more general

H

to heat

vsto inflame

69 5.9

To cause strong feelings or excitement

is more focused on making individual negative emotions stronger than group excitement

D

to deepen

vsto inflame

67 3.6

Make a feeling or situation stronger

usually refers to increasing negative emotions rather than general seriousness

E

to exacerbate

vsto inflame

66 8.0

To make a problem or feeling worse

aims mainly at strengthening emotions themselves, not only worsening problems

I

to ignite

vsto inflame

65 4.4

To cause strong feelings in someone

typically names making negative feelings stronger rather than starting passion

A

to arouse

vsto inflame

53 4.1

Cause a feeling or strong reaction in people

is used mainly for raising negative emotions rather than any feeling

A

to aggravate

vsto inflame

32 4.6

Make a problem or health condition worse

is specific to increasing negative feelings rather than general worsening

I

to infuriate

vsto inflame

30 5.0

Make someone very angry

raises negative feelings but normally more moderately than this

E

to enrage

vsto inflame

27 3.7

To make someone very angry

strengthens feelings but usually does so less intensely than that

F

to fan

vsto inflame

21 5.9

To make a feeling like anger or hate grow stronger

is broader, used to increase feelings generally rather than only negatives

A

to agitate

vsto inflame

14 4.8

To make people feel strongly excited or upset

focuses more narrowly on increasing negative feelings, not political unrest

O

to outrage

vsto inflame

13 3.9

Make people feel very angry and shocked

focuses on raising negative feelings but with less moral shock

F

to fan the flames

vsto inflame

• Informal

11 7.2

To make an argument or feeling worse by encouraging it

works by increasing feelings directly rather than encouraging external actions

G

to get a rise out of

vsto inflame

• Informal

10 6.8

Make someone angry or annoyed on purpose by teasing them

is used to increase feelings themselves rather than to tease someone

A

to add fuel to the fire

vsto inflame

• Informal

6 5.9

To make a bad situation worse by saying or doing something that makes people angrier

targets the worsening of a situation rather than only making feelings stronger

R

to raise hackles

vsto inflame

3 7.9

To make someone angry or upset

is about strengthening emotions in general, not just visible irritation

E

to enflame

vsto inflame

2 6.4

To make feelings like anger or excitement stronger

focuses mainly on raising negative emotions rather than broader situations

P

to pique

vsto inflame

2 8.2

To offend someone and make them feel annoyed or hurt

focuses on strengthening emotions broadly, not only mild resentment

E

to exasperate

vsto inflame

1 8.9

Make a problem or feeling worse

is about raising negative emotions rather than general aggravation

E

to enkindle

vsto inflame

• Archaic

1 9.2

To make someone feel a strong emotion

has a narrower focus on increasing negative feelings rather than general inspiration

E

to emotionalize

vsto inflame

1 6.7

To make something express strong feelings to affect people

focuses on increasing feelings themselves, not only making something emotional

G

to get one's dander up

vsto inflame

• Informal

1 9.1

To make someone angry

tends to strengthen emotions more broadly, not only mild irritation

M

to make one's blood boil

vsto inflame

• Informal

7.0

To cause someone to feel very angry

increases emotions generally but typically less explosively than that

Antonyms

C

to calm

∞ 1.0

Make a person or animal less upset

S

to soothe

75 3.4

To make someone feel calmer or reduce their pain

Phrasal Verbs

I

to inflame tensions

• Literature

2 7.4

Make people more angry and cause conflict between groups

I

to inflame public opinion

• Literature

1 7.7

To make many people feel angry or shocked about something

How Intense

to enrage

27 3.7

to incite

• NSFW

75 7.7

to inflame

34 5.8

to stir up

126 4.8

to provoke

134 3.7

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology