Ablaze

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /əˈbleɪz/

Definitions

1. Engulfed in fire or shining brilliantly, indicating not only a state of intense combustion but also an expression of vibrant passion or excitement
2. Engaged in a state of intense burning or radiating bright light, which conveys both the literal idea of being on fire and the metaphorical sense of being filled with fervor or enthusiasm
3. In a condition of fierce flames or glowing luminosity, this term reflects both a physical state of combustion and a metaphor for heightened emotional intensity or zeal

Etymology: The surprising part is how plain the recipe is: "ablaze" is simply the prefix "a-", meaning "on" or "in", attached to "blaze", a word for flame. Put together, it literally means "on fire" or "in a flame," and the phrase has been built this way from very old building blocks. The prefix traces back through Old English "on" to a much older Germanic form, and it is the same little word that appears in phrases like "asleep" or "afoot," where it similarly means "in a state of." "Blaze" supplies the substance: the flame itself. The combination pairs a locational sense with a noun, which is why the word reads as a description of something caught up in fire rather than merely a thing that is burning.

Synonyms: burning, flaming, blazing, aflame, on fire

Antonyms: extinguished, quenched, doused, put out, cold