inflamed
inflamed — adjective
1. describing a body part that has turned red, become hot, and grown larger, usuall
describing a body part that has turned red, become hot, and grown larger, usually because of an infection, injury, or allergic reaction.
After Layla scratched the mosquito bite for hours, her ankle was badly inflamed.
be inflamed describing swollen reddened skin
The doctor told Hugo that his throat was inflamed and prescribed a week of rest.
inflamed + body part (throat / joint / eye)
Ryo's eyes looked red and inflamed after he stayed up coding for three nights.
Asher could barely walk because the knee he had twisted on Saturday was still inflamed.
An inflamed appendix can be very dangerous if it is not treated quickly.
- healthy
general antonym for the body-part state
文法句型
be inflamed
inflamed + body part
用法筆記
Subject is almost always a body part (throat, eye, skin, joint, organ). Often paired with words like 'red', 'swollen', 'painful', or 'badly'.
常見錯誤
inflamed — verb
1. to make a part of someone's body turn red, hot, and swollen, often as a reaction
to make a part of someone's body turn red, hot, and swollen, often as a reaction to injury, infection, or an irritating substance.
Spicy chilli oil can inflame the lining of the stomach in people with ulcers.
inflame + body-tissue object
The pollen this spring has inflamed Astrid's sinuses worse than any year before.
inflame + body part (sinuses / throat / joints)
Doctors warned Bao that running on the broken ankle would only inflame the soft tissue further.
Cheap soap inflamed the baby's skin and left a bright red rash on both cheeks.
- soothe
to calm and reduce the reaction
文法句型
inflame + body part / tissue
用法筆記
Subject is usually an irritant (pollen, chemicals, food, infection, or repeated motion); object is a body part or tissue. The passive form (sense 2 / the adjective) is more common in everyday English than this active use.
2. (of a body part) to turn red, hot, and swollen in response to an injury, infecti
(of a body part) to turn red, hot, and swollen in response to an injury, infection, or irritation.
Without rest, the tendon will inflame again every time Vinícius plays football.
intransitive: body part as subject
Emily's eyelids tend to inflame whenever she uses a new brand of mascara.
subject is a body part; trigger phrase with 'whenever'
The wound began to inflame on the third day, so Paul took his son to the clinic.
Pollen makes the back of my throat inflame within minutes during late spring.
- heal
to get better and return to normal
文法句型
body part + inflame
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: here the body part is the SUBJECT (the part itself reacts); in sense 1 the irritant is the subject and the body part is the object. In modern English, 'become inflamed' (passive of sense 1) is far more common than this intransitive form.
3. to make people feel strong emotions such as anger, hatred, or excitement, often
to make people feel strong emotions such as anger, hatred, or excitement, often in a way that pushes them to act without thinking.
The mayor's careless comments inflamed protesters who were already angry about housing prices.
inflame + group of people (audience, crowd, protesters)
Tabloid headlines about the trial inflamed public anger across the whole country.
inflame + emotion noun (anger, hatred, passion)
Nkechi argued that posting the video online would only inflame tensions between the two villages.
Ayesha's speech inflamed the crowd with stories of children sleeping in unheated rooms.
文法句型
inflame + feeling / emotion / passion
inflame + group of people
用法筆記
Object is typically an emotion (anger, hatred, passion, tensions) or a group whose emotions are being stirred (crowd, public, voters). Almost always negative — when someone 'inflames' people, the speaker usually disapproves.
常見錯誤
4. (literary) to suddenly feel a strong rush of anger or excitement and react witho
(literary) to suddenly feel a strong rush of anger or excitement and react without holding back.
The old general would inflame at any mention of the lost battle, his face turning red.
literary intransitive: a person as subject
Christopher inflamed at the suggestion that his father had taken a bribe.
inflame at + cause of anger
The crowd inflamed when the speaker accused the king of cowardice.
Whenever the topic of inheritance came up, Élise inflamed and stormed out of the room.
- fly into a rage
modern everyday alternative
- bristle
to show sudden anger or offence, often quieter
- stay calm
to keep one's emotions controlled
文法句型
subject + inflame (with anger)
用法筆記
Found mostly in older novels or formal writing. Distinguish from sense 3: here the person reacts (intransitive); in sense 3 something else stirs them up (transitive). In modern English, learners should use 'fly into a rage' or 'lose one's temper' instead.
5. to make a conflict, argument, or violent event more severe and harder to control
to make a conflict, argument, or violent event more severe and harder to control.
Sending more troops to the border would only inflame the conflict between the two states.
inflame + conflict / war
Amani worried that the new sanctions would inflame an already unstable situation in the region.
inflame + situation
Cutting funding mid-year inflamed the debate about who should run the school district.
Reporters wrote that the prime minister's silence inflamed the crisis instead of cooling it.
- worsen
everyday alternative; more neutral
- exacerbate
formal academic register; very close meaning
- escalate
to push a conflict to a higher level of intensity
文法句型
inflame + conflict / situation / debate
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 3: sense 3 takes EMOTIONS or PEOPLE as object; sense 5 takes a CONFLICT / SITUATION / DEBATE as object. The two often overlap in news writing but the focus differs: stirring people up vs. making events worse.
6. (literary or old-fashioned) to cause something to start burning with flames.
(literary or old-fashioned) to cause something to start burning with flames.
A single dropped match was enough to inflame the dry grass at the edge of the field.
inflame + flammable material
The torch David carried inflamed the oil-soaked rags around the city gate.
literary register
Lightning inflamed the old wooden barn within seconds of striking the roof.
The old story tells how a hero used a mirror to inflame his enemies' ships.
- ignite
modern technical or formal equivalent
- set on fire
everyday neutral phrasing
- kindle
literary, often for starting a small fire deliberately
- extinguish
to put out a fire
文法句型
inflame + flammable object
用法筆記
Found mainly in older literature, poetry, and historical writing. In modern English use 'set on fire', 'ignite', or 'set ablaze' instead.
7. (literary or old-fashioned) to suddenly start burning with bright flames.
(literary or old-fashioned) to suddenly start burning with bright flames.
The dry hayloft inflamed the moment a spark from the chimney landed on the roof.
literary intransitive: flammable subject
The torches inflamed one after another as Jason walked along the dark corridor.
The pages of the old letter inflamed quickly once they touched the candle flame.
Within seconds the curtain inflamed and lit up the whole stage with orange light.
- catch fire
everyday neutral phrasing
- burst into flame
stresses the sudden, dramatic moment
- go out
for a fire that stops burning
文法句型
subject + inflame (suddenly)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 6: here the flammable object is the SUBJECT (it starts burning by itself); in sense 6 someone or something makes it burn. Modern English uses 'catch fire' or 'burst into flame' for this idea.