inflate
/ɪnˈfleɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈfleɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /in-ˈflāt/ (ame, mw)
inflate — verb
- inflatepresent simple I / you / we / they
- inflateshe / she / it
- inflatedpast simple
- inflating-ing form
1. to push air or gas into a hollow object so that it grows bigger and feels firmer
to push air or gas into a hollow object so that it grows bigger and feels firmer, or to become bigger in this way because air or gas has been pushed in
Soraya used a small pump to inflate the air mattress before her guests arrived.
transitive: inflate + object (mattress)
The tyres on Sumin's bicycle inflate through a valve on the wheel rim.
intransitive: tyres inflate through a valve
Hamza watched the hot air balloon slowly inflate as the burner heated the air inside.
Without a pump, it took Tamás nearly twenty minutes to inflate the football.
- deflate
to let the air or gas out of something
文法句型
inflate + noun phrase
inflate + noun phrase + with + air/gas
noun phrase + inflate (intransitive)
用法筆記
This sense can be used transitively (someone inflates something) or intransitively (something inflates by itself). The past participle 'inflated' is commonly used as an adjective, e.g. 'an inflated tyre'.
常見錯誤
2. to describe or present something as being bigger, more valuable, or more signifi
to describe or present something as being bigger, more valuable, or more significant than the truth would justify
The politician inflated the sales figures to make the project look more successful.
transitive: inflate + figures/numbers
Christopher felt the media was inflating the dangers of the new technology to attract viewers.
transitive: inflate + abstract noun (dangers, risks)
Lakshmi inflated her past achievements on the job application to seem more qualified.
The film's marketing team inflated the budget to create a sense of epic scale.
- exaggerate
broader; can apply to any kind of overstatement, not just size or importance
- overstate
more formal; suggests going beyond the truth in a deliberate way
- puff up
informal; often used for someone's pride or ego
- downplay
to make something seem less important than it really is
- understate
to describe something as smaller or less significant than it is
文法句型
inflate + noun phrase (figures, claims, importance)
inflate + possessive + noun phrase
用法筆記
Often used with nouns related to numbers, status, or claims (figures, achievements, ego, importance, risks). The object is almost always abstract — you do not inflate a physical object in this sense.
常見錯誤
3. to make prices rise across an entire economy, or to rise in this way, typically
to make prices rise across an entire economy, or to rise in this way, typically because the amount of money available increases or the value of currency drops
The central bank's decision to print more money inflated the cost of everyday goods.
transitive: inflate + the cost of [goods]
Housing prices in the area inflated rapidly after the new train station was built.
intransitive: prices inflate
Aylin worried that rising oil prices would inflate the cost of her weekly shopping.
During the war, food prices inflated sharply as supplies became scarce.
- deflate
to cause prices to fall; opposite in economic contexts
文法句型
inflate + noun phrase (prices, costs)
noun phrase + inflate (intransitive: prices inflate)
用法筆記
This sense is primarily used in economic and financial contexts. It often appears in passive constructions ('prices were inflated by…') or with adverbs like 'sharply', 'rapidly', 'artificially'.