fuel

fuel — noun

1. a substance such as coal, gas, or wood that people burn to create warmth and mak

1.nounB1
Definition

a substance such as coal, gas, or wood that people burn to create warmth and make machines run.

Example

The government announced a new tax on petrol and other fuels.

countable plural 'fuels' for different types

Haruto filled the car with fuel before the long drive to Kaohsiung.

uncountable: fuel as a mass substance

Common collocations
  • fossil fuel
  • diesel fuel
  • fuel supply
  • fuel tank
  • fuel consumption
  • run out of fuel
Synonyms
  • energy

    broader term — fuel is a source of energy, but 'energy' can also come from the sun, wind, or movement

  • power

    focuses on the result fuel produces, not the substance itself

  • petrol / gasoline

    specific types of fuel used in cars; petrol is British, gasoline American

Grammar Patterns

fuel (uncountable) for general reference

fuels (countable plural) for different types

Usage Note

Fuel is usually uncountable when referring to the substance in general ('We ran out of fuel'). It becomes countable when listing types or sources ('alternative fuels', 'fossil fuels').

Common Mistakes

The car needs oil to run.
The car needs fuel to run.
Oil is one type of fuel; petrol/gasoline is the usual fuel for cars.
We need to buy a fuel for the stove.
We need to buy fuel for the stove.
No article needed when referring to fuel in general.

2. anything that makes an emotion, an argument, or an activity continue or become m

2.nounB2
Definition

anything that makes an emotion, an argument, or an activity continue or become more intense.

Example

The newspaper article added fuel to the debate about school reform.

idiomatic phrase: 'add fuel to' meaning 'make stronger'

Adina's angry words were fuel for the argument between the two families.

pattern: 'be fuel for' + conflict

Common collocations
  • add fuel to the fire
  • fuel for debate
  • fuel for speculation
  • fuel for gossip
Synonyms
  • catalyst

    more formal; suggests something that speeds up change without being consumed

  • stimulus

    suggests something that provokes a reaction, often positive or neutral

  • fodder

    often dismissive — 'fodder for gossip' suggests the material is cheap or easily used

Antonyms
  • dampener

    something that reduces enthusiasm or excitement

Grammar Patterns

fuel for + noun

add fuel to + noun

be fuel for + noun

Usage Note

Common in media and political contexts. The phrase 'add fuel to the fire/flames' is a fixed idiom meaning to make a bad situation worse. Often followed by 'for' + a conflict or emotion noun.

Common Mistakes

The news created fuel for new arguments.
The news added fuel to the existing arguments.
Fuel in this sense intensifies something already present, it does not create something new.

fuel — verb

Word family

  • fuelled/fueled
    adjectiveB2
  • refuel
    verbB2
  • fuel-efficient
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/2

All five words describe making something stronger, but they differ in imagery and connotation. 'Fuel' draws on the metaphor of adding material to a fire — it suggests that something already burning (anger, debate, ambition) receives more energy to grow. 'Intensify' is the most neutral and general; it can apply to weather (the storm intensified), effort, or feelings without any particular image. 'Stoke' is more deliberate — like adding coal to a furnace — so it often implies someone is actively keeping a feeling alive ('stoking resentment'). 'Fan' suggests spreading something outward, like fanning flames to make a fire cover more area; it pairs naturally with rumours, fear, and panic. 'Stimulate' is more positive, suggesting healthy encouragement ('stimulate economic growth', 'stimulate creativity'), whereas the others often appear in negative or conflict contexts. Use 'fuel' when you want the vivid sense of something feeding a fire that is already burning.

fuel ↗intensify ↗stokefan ↗stimulate ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • fuel for the fire
  • add fuel to the flames
  • run out of fuel
  • fuel station

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'fuel' entered English from Old French 'fouaille', meaning 'fireplace fuel', which came from Latin 'focus' — literally 'hearth' or 'fireplace'. In Latin, 'focus' was the place where a fire burned in a home. Over centuries, the meaning shifted from the place of burning to the material that burns.