flaming

flaming — adjective

1. used immediately before a noun to strongly express annoyance or anger about some

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

used immediately before a noun to strongly express annoyance or anger about someone or something — for example, calling a person a flaming idiot for doing something stupid.

Example

Zola called her brother a flaming idiot after he spilled paint over her new rug.

informal intensifier before an insulting noun

The taxi driver shouted 'you flaming fool!' at the cyclist who cut him off.

Common collocations
  • flaming idiot
  • flaming fool
  • flaming nonsense
  • flaming cheek
  • flaming bureaucracy
Synonyms
  • blooming

    softer, less aggressive; also British informal

  • damned

    similar intensifier but works in more varieties of English

  • bloody

    British strong intensifier; slightly more common than 'flaming'

Grammar Patterns

flaming + [insulting noun]

Usage Note

Strongly informal and mostly found in British English. Do not use in formal writing or polite conversation. The noun that follows must refer to something the speaker is annoyed by — it cannot be neutral or positive.

Common Mistakes

My boss gave me a flaming promotion.
My boss gave me a flaming lecture.
'flaming' only combines with nouns that express annoyance, not with neutral or positive nouns.
That was a flaming good meal.
That was a flaming waste of money.
'flaming' adds anger, not general emphasis. It is not a synonym for 'very'.

2. describes a quarrel or disagreement that is extremely heated, with both sides sh

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes a quarrel or disagreement that is extremely heated, with both sides shouting and raising their voices at one another.

Example

The neighbours had a flaming row about the garden fence that woke the whole street.

collocation: flaming row

Christopher and Tanvi had a flaming argument over who should pay for dinner.

Common collocations
  • flaming row
  • flaming argument
  • flaming quarrel
  • flaming dispute
Synonyms
  • blazing

    less common but similar meaning of intense anger

  • heated

    neutral register; less colourful but works in any context

  • furious

    describes the emotion rather than the argument itself

Antonyms
  • calm

    describes the opposite emotional temperature

  • civil

    describes a polite disagreement

Grammar Patterns

flaming + [argument/dispute/row/quarrel]

Usage Note

Always followed by a noun that names a conflict (row, argument, quarrel, dispute). It cannot be used on its own — 'they had a flaming' is incomplete.

Common Mistakes

They had a flaming about money.
They had a flaming argument about money.
'flaming' must modify a noun; it is not a noun itself in this sense.

3. actually burning with visible flames so that the object is partly or fully aligh

3.adjectiveB1
Definition

actually burning with visible flames so that the object is partly or fully alight; also describes something that strongly resembles a flame in its bright orange or red colour, or in its flickering shape.

Example

Firefighters pulled the family out of the flaming building just before it fell down.

literal burning building

Dario watched the flaming logs in the fireplace as the snow fell outside.

Common collocations
  • flaming building
  • flaming logs
  • flaming wreckage
  • flaming red
  • flaming orange
  • flaming sunset
Synonyms
  • blazing

    suggests large, powerful flames; more dramatic

  • burning

    more general; can include smouldering without visible flames

  • fiery

    describes flame-like colour or intensity rather than actual fire

Antonyms
  • extinguished

    describes a fire that has been put out

  • dull

    describes the opposite of bright colour

Grammar Patterns

flaming + [object that burns or looks flame-like]

Usage Note

When describing literal fire, 'flaming' implies active, visible flames — not just heat or smouldering. For colour uses, it combines most often with red, orange, and yellow.

Common Mistakes

Be careful, that cloth is flaming.
Be careful, that cloth is flammable.
'flaming' means on fire right now; 'flammable' means it catches fire easily.

4. describes an emotion, desire, or inner drive that is extremely powerful, fierce,

4.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes an emotion, desire, or inner drive that is extremely powerful, fierce, and hard to contain — for instance, a flaming temper that flares up easily, or a flaming ambition that drives a person to work relentlessly.

Example

As a child Isabela had a flaming temper, but she learned to control it.

collocation: flaming temper

The general gave a flaming speech that made the soldiers want to charge into battle.

Common collocations
  • flaming temper
  • flaming desire
  • flaming passion
  • flaming ambition
  • flaming speech
Synonyms
  • fiery

    most similar; used for both literal heat and figurative passion

  • burning

    common with desire, ambition, or curiosity

  • fierce

    broader; works for emotions but also for competition or loyalty

  • intense

    neutral register; less colourful

Antonyms
  • mild

    describes the opposite level of emotional strength

  • cool

    describes calm, controlled emotions

Grammar Patterns

flaming + [emotion noun]

Usage Note

Also found in the literary expression 'flaming passion'. Unlike sense 3 (literal fire), this sense is purely figurative and collocates with abstract nouns of emotion.

Common Mistakes

The fire had a flaming heat.
He had a flaming passion for music.
'flaming' for intense emotions does not work with literal heat or fire-related nouns.

flaming — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/3

All four words describe fire or fire-like qualities, but they differ in focus. 'Burning' is the most general term — it works for anything affected by fire, from a building to toast, and also for emotions ('burning desire'). 'Blazing' suggests large, powerful flames that are hard to control, with a dramatic tone ('blazing wildfire', 'blazing rage'). 'Fiery' leans toward colour and temperament rather than actual combustion: a 'fiery sunset' or 'fiery personality' uses the intensity of fire without implying real flames. 'Flaming' sits between them: it can be literal ('flaming building') like 'burning' but with visible flames emphasised, or figurative ('flaming temper') like 'fiery' but more intense. For learners, 'burning' is the safest choice across contexts; 'flaming' adds a stronger visual or emotional punch in informal British English.

blazingburning ↗fiery ↗flaming ↗

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'flaming' comes from the noun 'flame' (from Old French 'flamme', which traces back to Latin 'flamma' meaning a burst of fire) plus the suffix '-ing', which forms adjectives describing something that produces or resembles the root noun. The figurative senses — intensifier anger and passionate emotion — developed from the literal fire meaning, as anger has long been associated with heat and burning in many languages.