To fill something with air or gas to make it larger and firmer, or to increase something artificially (like prices or ego).
From Latin 'inflare,' composed of 'in-' (into) and 'flare' (to blow). The figurative sense of 'exaggerate' or 'increase artificially' developed in the 16th century, borrowed from the physical act of blowing air into something.
Economists use 'inflation' as the metaphorical opposite of deflation, imagining the entire money supply as a balloon—when there's too much air (money) chasing the same amount of goods, prices balloon upward, creating the exact same effect as if you blew too much air into an inflatable pool toy.
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