inflame

/ɪnˈfleɪ̯m/

Etymology

From Middle English inflammen, enflamen, enflaumen, from Old French enflammer (“to inflame”), from Latin inflammō (“to kindle, set on fire”, verb), from in (“in, on”) + flamma (“flame”), equivalent to in- + flame.

inflame means to set (something) on fire; to cause (something) to burn, flame, or glow; to kindle. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 75 out of 100.

Why this word is great

INFLAME — [Verb] To provoke or intensify a strong feeling, especially anger or passion, or, less commonly, to cause to burn or glow. From Middle English inflammen, from Old French enflammer, from Latin inflammō ("to kindle, set on fire"), from in- ("in, on") + flamma ("flame"). Unlike “enrage,” which denotes a consummated fury, or “kindle,” which implies a tender beginning, to inflame is the active work of exacerbation—the bellows to a latent ember. It is the demagogue’s half-truth catching in the dry timber of a crowd, the bitter memory revisited until it glows white-hot, or the infection spreading its lurid red borders beneath the skin; the most dangerous fires are those we believe we are merely tending.

verb

To set (something) on fire; to cause (something) to burn, flame, or glow; to kindle.“We should have made retreat / By light of the inflamed fleet.”
To intensify or kindle (a feeling, such as appetite or passion); to excite to an excessive or unnatural action or heat.“to inflame desire”
To provoke (a person) to anger or rage; to exasperate; to irritate; to incense; to enrage.“It will inflame you; it will make you mad.”
To put in a state of inflammation; to produce morbid heat, congestion, or swelling, of.“to inflame the eyes by overwork”
To exaggerate; to enlarge upon.“A friend exaggerates a man's virtues, an enemy inflames his crimes.”
To grow morbidly hot, congested, or painful; to become angry or incensed.“You meditate upon the nerves, Inflame with hate. This ancient feud Is seldom won. […]”