flame
flame — noun
1. a bright, flickering mass of heated gas that rises when something is on fire
a bright, flickering mass of heated gas that rises when something is on fire
The flames from the campfire lit up the children's faces as they sang.
collocation: flames from [fire source]
Yuki watched the blue flame of the gas stove while she boiled water for tea.
colour modifier: blue flame
Firefighters managed to contain the flames before they reached the nearby houses.
passive: manage to contain flames
The old wooden shed was engulfed in flames within minutes of the lightning strike.
fixed phrase: engulfed in flames
A small flame still flickered on the candle despite the strong wind outside.
- flames from
- burst into flames
- in flames
- engulfed in flames
- flame flickers
- flame dies down
Usage Note
Can be used as both countable ('two flames') and uncountable ('a building in flame'), though the uncountable form often appears in fixed phrases like 'in flames' or 'burst into flame'.
Common Mistakes
2. an intense emotion such as love, rage, or excitement, felt as powerfully as fire
an intense emotion such as love, rage, or excitement, felt as powerfully as fire burning inside you
The flame of passion between the two dancers was clear to everyone in the audience.
pattern: flame of + passion/anger/hatred
Hari felt a flame of anger rise in his chest at the unfair decision.
The coach's inspiring speech fanned the flames of hope among the losing team.
idiom: fan the flames of [emotion]
Fifty years later, the flame of their friendship still burned as brightly as ever.
- flame of
- fan the flames
- flame burns
- flame of passion
- flame of anger
Grammar Patterns
flame of + [emotion noun]
Usage Note
Typically followed by 'of' plus an emotion noun (flame of passion, flame of anger). Frequently appears in the idiom 'fan the flames (of something)' meaning to make a feeling worse.
3. a harsh, insulting online message, typically sent as a quick reaction to somethi
a harsh, insulting online message, typically sent as a quick reaction to something someone else has written
The forum moderator deleted several flames that had been posted during the heated debate.
passive: flames deleted/moderated
Beatrix received a flame from a stranger who disagreed with her comment on the blog.
The discussion thread turned into a flame war after someone posted a rude reply.
compound: flame war
Before sending a flame, take a moment to calm down and think about your words.
- flame war
- send a flame
- get flamed
- flame bait
- rant
a longer, less targeted angry message; not necessarily a reply
- troll post
deliberately provocative rather than genuinely angry
Usage Note
Often appears in the compound 'flame war' (a series of angry exchanges). This sense is specific to internet communication and does not apply to letters or face-to-face arguments.
Common Mistakes
4. a warm, vivid colour that looks like fire, sitting somewhere between bright red
a warm, vivid colour that looks like fire, sitting somewhere between bright red and orange
The autumn leaves turned a beautiful shade of flame before they fell from the trees.
noun as colour name: shade of flame
Anna chose a flame-coloured scarf to brighten her plain grey winter coat.
compound: flame-coloured
The sunset painted the sky in deep shades of flame and gold.
Renata decorated the living room with cushions in warm flame tones.
- shade of flame
- flame-coloured
- flame red
- flame tones
Usage Note
This colour sense is less common as a standalone noun; it appears more often in compounds like 'flame-coloured', 'flame-red', or in descriptive phrases such as 'shades of flame'.
burst into flames
idiomto suddenly begin burning very strongly, often unexpectedly
The engine burst into flames shortly after the car crashed into the tree.
The dry curtains burst into flames when they touched the hot desk lamp.
old flame
idioma person with whom you used to have a romantic relationship
Hari ran into an old flame from college at the conference last week.
Léa still felt nervous whenever she saw her old flame at family gatherings.
flame out
idiomto fail or collapse suddenly and dramatically after a period of success or promise
The young singer's career flamed out after just two albums.
The promising startup flamed out when investors lost confidence in the product.
to make an unpleasant feeling, situation, or conflict even worse than it already is
The politician's careless comments fanned the flames of public anger.
Spreading gossip about the argument only fanned the flames further.
flame — verb
1. to produce a bright, visible flame while a fire is burning
to produce a bright, visible flame while a fire is burning
The dry logs flamed brightly in the fireplace, warming the whole room.
pattern: [fuel] flames [adverb]
Obi watched the paper flame for a second and then turn to grey ash.
The candles flamed for a moment before a sudden gust of wind blew them out.
As Tariq added more wood to the campfire, it flamed higher and brighter.
The old oil lamp flamed unevenly, casting dancing shadows across the walls.
- flame up
- flame brightly
- flame higher
Grammar Patterns
[fuel/fire source] flames [adverb]
Usage Note
Often used with adverbs like 'brightly', 'fiercely', 'up'. 'Flame up' is a common variant meaning to suddenly start burning more strongly.
2. if a feeling such as anger, love, or hatred flames, it suddenly becomes extremel
if a feeling such as anger, love, or hatred flames, it suddenly becomes extremely strong and intense
When Marco heard the accusation, anger flamed inside him and he could barely speak.
pattern: anger flamed inside [person]
Élise felt jealousy flame through her as she watched the happy couple dance.
The old resentment flamed again whenever the two brothers argued about money.
Hope flamed in her chest when she saw the rescue team approaching the island.
- flame inside
- flame through
- flame within
- anger flames
- hatred flames
Grammar Patterns
[emotion] flames in/through/within [person]
Usage Note
This is a literary or figurative use. The subject is always an emotion or feeling, not a person. Common in narrative writing but rare in everyday conversation.
3. when a person's face suddenly becomes hot and red, usually because they feel ang
when a person's face suddenly becomes hot and red, usually because they feel angry, embarrassed, or ashamed
His cheeks flamed when he realised everyone in the room had heard his mistake.
pattern: [cheeks/face] flames with [emotion]
The teacher's face flamed with anger as the students continued to misbehave.
Mira's ears flamed bright red when her mother told the story at the dinner table.
Renata's cheeks flamed with embarrassment after she tripped on stage.
- flame with anger
- flame with embarrassment
- flame red
- cheeks flame
- face flames
Grammar Patterns
[face/cheeks] flames (red) with [emotion]
Usage Note
The subject is typically a body part ('face', 'cheeks', 'ears') rather than the person. 'Flame red' or 'flame with [emotion]' are common patterns.
Common Mistakes
4. to send angry, insulting, or offensive messages to someone online, usually as a
to send angry, insulting, or offensive messages to someone online, usually as a quick reaction to something they have written
The user was banned from the forum for flaming other members repeatedly.
gerund: flaming + [object]
Please do not flame the new members when they ask basic questions.
Hoa flamed the reviewer who gave her favourite film a bad rating online.
The website has clear rules against flaming, and moderators remove abusive posts.
Instead of flaming people you disagree with, try to explain your point calmly.
- flame someone
- get flamed
- flaming in chat
- flame a post
- flame war
Grammar Patterns
flame + [person]
flame + [person] + about/for + [topic]
Usage Note
Can be used transitively ('flame someone') or intransitively ('stop flaming in the chat'). The gerund form 'flaming' is very common. Most often used in online community contexts.
Common Mistakes
5. to give off a bright light or warm glow, often in a flickering or unsteady way
to give off a bright light or warm glow, often in a flickering or unsteady way
The sunset flamed across the evening sky, turning the clouds deep orange and pink.
literary: sunset/sky flames across
A single candle flamed in the dark room, casting soft shadows on the stone walls.
The northern lights flamed in brilliant green bands above the snowy Arctic landscape.
Anna's eyes flamed with fierce determination as she stepped onto the stage.
- flame across the sky
- flame with light
- sunset flames
- eyes flame
Grammar Patterns
[light source/sky] flames [across/over/through] [place]
Usage Note
This literary sense overlaps with sense 1 (burning) but is used figuratively for any bright light source, not just fire. Common in descriptive and poetic writing.
Word family
- flamingadjectiveB2
- flammableadjectiveB2
- inflameverbC1
- inflamedadjectiveC1
- inflammationnounB2
- flamboyantadjectiveC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
While all four words describe burning, they differ in intensity and scope. 'Flame' (noun/1) is the most specific: it refers to the visible tongues of burning gas themselves — you can have a single candle flame or the many flames of a large fire. 'Blaze' describes a much stronger, more intense fire that produces a great deal of light and heat, as in 'the logs burned with a bright blaze'. A 'blaze' is typically bigger than a single flame. 'Inferno' is the strongest of the four: it means a massive, destructive fire that is out of control and dangerous, like 'the building became an inferno within minutes'. 'Fire' is the most general term and can refer to anything from a match flame to a forest fire. For example: 'She lit a match and watched the small flame.' → 'She threw the match and the dry grass became a blaze.' → 'Within minutes, the entire hillside was an inferno.'
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'flame' entered English through Middle English 'flaume' from Anglo-French 'flame', which came from Latin 'flamma' meaning 'a blazing fire'. The Latin root 'flamma' is related to 'flagrare' (to burn), which also gave us 'flame', 'flammable', and 'inflame'. The internet sense of sending angry messages developed in the 1990s with the rise of online forums and email.