flames
flames — noun
- flamessingular
- flamesesplural
1. a bright, hot, moving stream of gas that you see when something is burning
a bright, hot, moving stream of gas that you see when something is burning
Eric watched the flames dance in the fireplace on the cold winter evening.
collocation: watch the flames
Thick smoke and orange flames poured from the windows of the old factory.
The flames spread quickly through the dry forest and forced nearby families to leave.
Lara held her hands near the flames of the campfire to warm them up.
Firefighters worked for hours to bring the flames under control.
文法句型
flames of + noun
in flames
burst into flames
用法筆記
Frequently used in fixed phrases like 'in flames' (the building was in flames) and 'burst into flames' (the car burst into flames after the crash).
常見錯誤
2. a very strong feeling such as anger, love, or excitement that grows quickly and
a very strong feeling such as anger, love, or excitement that grows quickly and is hard to control
The flames of anger grew stronger as he listened to the unfair criticism.
collocation: flames of anger
Yamila felt the old flames of love return when she visited her home town.
collocation: flames of love
His speech fanned the flames of hope among those who had lost everything.
The team's victory added fuel to the flames of their desire to win the championship.
Nora tried to control the flames of jealousy rising inside her chest.
文法句型
the flames of + emotion noun
fan the flames of + emotion
add fuel to the flames
用法筆記
Almost always used in figurative collocations with 'flames of + emotion' or the fixed idioms 'fan the flames' and 'add fuel to the flames'. Not used literally.
常見錯誤
3. a rude or offensive message sent through the internet, especially one intended t
a rude or offensive message sent through the internet, especially one intended to start a conflict
The politician received flames from angry voters who felt betrayed by his broken promises.
collocation: receive flames from [someone]
Yael deleted the flames without reading them and refused to feed the argument.
The forum moderator banned users who posted personal flames against other members.
Hamza replied to the flame with a calm message that stopped the online fight.
- rant
a long angry complaint, not necessarily directed at a specific person
- troll post
a message meant to upset others, often insincere; a flame is genuinely angry
文法句型
send + flame(s)
post + flame(s)
get + flamed
用法筆記
Belongs to internet culture vocabulary. A 'flame war' is a series of flames exchanged between users. The verb form is more common than the noun in modern usage.
常見錯誤
flames — verb
- flamespresent simple I / you / we / they
- flameses3rd person singular
- flamesing-ing form
- flamesedpast simple
1. to produce a tall bright flame suddenly while burning, or to start burning more
to produce a tall bright flame suddenly while burning, or to start burning more strongly
The dry wood flamed up as soon as Inês dropped a match on it.
phrasal verb: flame up
Oil from the pan flamed when hitting the burner, so Lara turned the heat down.
collocation: flame when + verb
The campfire flamed brightly against the cold winter sky.
Dead leaves in the garden flamed for a moment and then turned to grey ash.
- die down
a fire dies down when it loses strength and produces less flame
文法句型
flame up
flame + adverb
用法筆記
More common as a phrasal verb 'flame up' than alone. For everyday situations, 'blaze' or 'flare up' are more frequent alternatives.
常見錯誤
2. if a feeling flames, it appears all at once and becomes extremely strong inside
if a feeling flames, it appears all at once and becomes extremely strong inside you
Anger flamed in his chest when he heard the false accusation.
metaphor: anger flamed in [body part]
Hope flamed inside the refugees when they saw the rescue ship near the shore.
metaphor: hope flamed
Desire flamed between them the moment their eyes met across the crowded room.
When the final score was announced, pride flamed in every player's heart.
文法句型
emotion + flames (in body/chest/heart)
flame with + emotion
用法筆記
A literary or dramatic verb. In everyday conversation, speakers prefer 'was filled with anger/hope/pride' or 'felt a surge of [emotion]'.
常見錯誤
3. to become suddenly red and hot in the face because of a strong emotion such as e
to become suddenly red and hot in the face because of a strong emotion such as embarrassment, shame, or anger
Her cheeks flamed when the teacher called her name and asked for the answer.
body part: cheeks flamed
Liang's face flamed with embarrassment after he tripped on the stairs in front of everyone.
collocation: flame with embarrassment
Yan's ears flamed red as the whole room turned to look at him.
The singer's neck flamed under the bright stage lights and the crowd's stare.
文法句型
face / cheeks + flame
flame with + emotion
flame red
用法筆記
Describes the physical sensation of blushing intensely. Unlike 'blush', which can be slight, 'flame' suggests a hot, deep redness that is hard to hide.
常見錯誤
4. to write and send a deliberately offensive, insulting, or threatening message to
to write and send a deliberately offensive, insulting, or threatening message to someone online
The user was banned from the forum for flaming other members who disagreed with him.
passive: was banned for flaming [someone]
Rodrigo flamed the company's support team after his new phone arrived with a cracked screen.
active: flame [someone] about [reason]
Journalists often get flamed by readers who disagree with their political reporting.
The website now blocks comments that flame other users with hateful language.
文法句型
flame + someone
flame + someone + about + something
get flamed
用法筆記
The noun 'flame' (sense 3) and verb 'flame' share the same domain. A person who flames others may be called a 'flamer' in older internet slang.