flare
/fleə/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- A sudden, brief, bright light or flame: A burst of light or fire that appears quickly and often intensely.
- A device producing a bright signal light: A pyrotechnic or other device used to produce a bright light for signaling, illumination, or warning.
- A sudden outburst or intensification: A sudden, often temporary, increase in emotion, activity, or symptoms.
- A shape that widens outward: A gradual spreading outward, as in the shape of a skirt or a trumpet.
- An unwanted reflection of light: In photography or optics, a non-image-forming patch of light or fogging caused by stray light.
Verb:
- To burn or shine with a sudden, bright light: To burst into bright, often unsteady, flame or light.
- To erupt or intensify suddenly: To break out or increase rapidly in intensity, often referring to emotions, conflict, or symptoms.
- To spread outward: To widen or curve outward gradually.
Examples of Usage
Noun:
- The sailor used a flare to signal for help. (The sailor used a bright signaling device.)
- She felt a sudden flare of anger. (She felt a sudden outburst of anger.)
- The dress has a slight flare at the hem. (The dress widens slightly at the bottom.)
Verb:
- The match flared in the darkness. (The match burned with a sudden bright light.)
- Tensions flared during the debate. (Tensions intensified suddenly.)
- These trousers flare from the knee downwards. (These trousers widen from the knee down.)
Advanced Usage
"Solar flare": A sudden, powerful eruption of electromagnetic radiation from the sun's surface.
- The solar flare caused radio blackouts on Earth.
"Flare-up" (noun): A sudden outbreak or worsening, especially of a disease, conflict, or fire.
- He experienced a painful flare-up of his arthritis.
Variants and Related Words
Flared (adj.): Describing something that widens outward.
- She wore flared jeans.
Flaring (adj./n.): The act of burning with a sudden light or the state of spreading outward.
- The flaring torch lit the cave. (adj.)
- The flaring of the skirt is elegant. (n.)
Synonyms
- Noun: Flash, blaze, outburst, signal, widening.
- Verb: Blaze, flash, erupt, intensify, widen.
Related Phrasal Verbs
Flare out: To spread or widen outward; to burn suddenly.
- The road flares out into a large square.
- The fire flared out when he added more wood.
Flare up: To suddenly become more intense, especially anger, violence, pain, or fire.
- Her temper flared up unexpectedly.
- The infection flared up again.
Related Idioms
- (To be) in a flare: To be in a state of sudden anger or excitement. (Less common, but related to the "outburst" meaning).
- He was in a flare after hearing the news.
Noun
- (baseball) a fly ball hit a short distance into the outfield
- a short forward pass to a back who is running toward the sidelines
- he threw a flare to the fullback who was tackled for a loss
- a device that produces a bright light for warning or illumination or identification
- a sudden outburst of emotion
- she felt a flare of delight
- she could not control her flare of rage
- am unwanted reflection in an optical system (or the fogging of an image that is caused by such a reflection)
- a sudden eruption of intense high-energy radiation from the sun's surface; associated with sunspots and radio interference
- a sudden recurrence or worsening of symptoms
- a colitis flare
- infection can cause a lupus flare
- reddening of the skin spreading outward from a focus of infection or irritation
- a burst of light used to communicate or illuminate
- a sudden burst of flame
- a shape that spreads outward
- the skirt had a wide flare
Verb
- erupt or intensify suddenly
- Unrest erupted in the country
- Tempers flared at the meeting
- The crowd irrupted into a burst of patriotism
- shine with a sudden light
- The night sky flared with the massive bombardment
- become flared and widen, usually at one end
- The bellbottom pants flare out
- burn brightly
- Every star seemed to flare with new intensity