To inflame something is to make it burn or to cause it to become red, hot, and swollen. It can also mean to stir up strong emotions like anger or excitement.
It comes from Latin “inflammare,” meaning “to set on fire,” from “in-” (in) and “flammare” (to flame). The word has long been used both for literal flames and for emotional “fires.”
Inflame started as a very physical word—setting things on fire—but now it often describes emotional fires instead. A single speech or social media post can “inflame” public opinion in hours. The word is a good warning: once something is inflamed, it’s much harder to cool down.
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