Definition

1. Noun:

   • A hot, glowing body of ignited gas that is generated by something on fire: This is the primary meaning, referring to the visible, flickering part of a fire.
   • A strong feeling, especially of passion, anger, or love: Used metaphorically to describe an intense emotion that is likened to fire in its heat and energy.
   • (Informal, often humorous) A sweetheart or former lover: An old-fashioned or playful term for a romantic partner.

2. Verb:

   • To burn with or produce flames; to be on fire: To be alight and emitting flames.
   • To shine or glow brightly like a flame: To emit a bright, warm light or color.
   • To become red or bright, especially from a strong emotion: For a face to redden with anger, passion, or embarrassment.
   • To criticize someone harshly, especially in an online message: To send an angry, insulting, or critical message, typically in a public online forum.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The candle's flame flickered in the draft.
  • Her words fanned the flame of his anger.
  • He ran into an old flame at the reunion.

• Verb:

  • The logs in the fireplace began to flame brightly.
  • The autumn leaves flamed red and orange.
  • Her cheeks flamed with embarrassment when she realized her mistake.
  • He got flamed in the comments section for his controversial post.

Advanced Usage

• "to go up in flames": to be destroyed by fire; to fail completely.

  • The historic building went up in flames.
  • Their business plan went up in flames after the market crash.

• "to fan the flames": to make a situation, especially a conflict or strong emotion, worse or more intense.

  • The politician's speech only fanned the flames of division.

• "an old flame": a former boyfriend or girlfriend.

  • She was surprised to see her old flame at the party.

Variants and Related Words

• Flaming (adj): burning with flames; (informal) used for emphasis (); (of an online post) aggressively insulting.
• Flamable/Flammable (adj): easily set on fire.
• Inflammable (adj): (Note: This means the same as flammable, not the opposite) easily set on fire.
• Nonflammable (adj): not easily set on fire.

Synonyms

• Noun (fire): blaze, fire.
• Noun (passion): ardor, fervor, passion.
• Verb (burn): blaze, burn.
• Verb (criticize): attack, berate, lambaste.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Flame out: (of a jet engine) to fail suddenly and stop producing thrust; (of a person or effort) to fail dramatically or burn out.

  • The engine flamed out at 30,000 feet.
  • After a brilliant start, the young CEO flamed out under the pressure.

• Flame up: to suddenly begin burning more brightly; (of a feeling or conflict) to suddenly become more intense; (of a face) to suddenly become red.

  • The fire flamed up when he added more wood.
  • Tensions flamed up again at the border.
  • She flamed up when he complimented her.

Related Idioms

• Add fuel to the fire/flames: Similar to "fan the flames," meaning to make a bad situation worse.

  • Bringing up past mistakes just adds fuel to the flames.

• Trial by fire: a challenging test of one's abilities, performed under difficult conditions.

  • His first week on the job was a real trial by fire.

Noun

1. the process of combustion of inflammable materials producing heat and light and (often) smoke
   • fire was one of our ancestors' first discoveries

Verb

1. criticize harshly, usually via an electronic medium
   • the person who posted an inflammatory message got flamed
2. be in flames or aflame
   • The sky seemed to flame in the Hawaiian sunset
3. shine with a sudden light
   • The night sky flared with the massive bombardment