Inflame

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɪnˈfleɪm/

Definitions

1. To provoke or increase strong emotions such as anger or excitement ; to ignite or cause something to catch fire
2. To stir up intense feelings, especially anger or passion ; to cause a material to start burning or to become very hot
3. To arouse or heighten emotional responses often leading to aggression ; to set aflame or cause combustion in a substance

Etymology: The verb "inflame" carries a physical fire inside its Latin ancestor. Its root, "flamma," meant flame or fire, and the Latin verb "inflammare" literally meant to set something alight, with the prefix "in-" pointing the action into the thing being burned. Only later did the verb extend to passion: the same Latin word could also mean to excite or incite a person, so a flare of feeling was described with the vocabulary of a blaze from the start. English took the word through Old French "enflamer," which already held both senses, to set something on fire and to fuel a quarrel or hatred. In Middle English, "enflaumen" could mean to enrage someone, to incite someone to evil, or to inspire them, and it was also used in medicine for causing a body part to become inflamed. The medical sense is the one that later split off into the familiar word "inflammation."

Synonyms: ignite, provoke, incite, enrage, excite

Antonyms: calm, soothe, pacify, alleviate, douse