# inflammation

/ˌɪnfɫəˈmeɪʃən/ (US) · /ɪnflæmˈeɪʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/inflammation
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. medical swelling

noun · CEFR B2

a condition where part of your body gets red, hot, and swollen because it is fighting an injury or illness.

For teachers: a localized protective response to tissue injury or infection, characterized by pain, heat, redness, swelling, and sometimes loss of function.

- The doctor gave her some cream to reduce the inflammation in her knee.
- Chronic inflammation can lead to a variety of long-term health issues if the underlying cause of the immune response is not addressed.

### 2. violent excitement

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

a state of being very angry or excited.

For teachers: a state of intense emotional excitement or violent passion.

- The speaker's words caused a great inflammation of public feeling.
- The orator's rhetoric served only to increase the inflammation of the crowd, leading to a night of civil unrest.

### 3. setting on fire

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic

the act of starting a fire or setting something on fire.

For teachers: the act of setting something on fire or the process of catching fire.

- The sudden inflammation of the dry grass surprised the campers.
- The rapid inflammation of the wooden structures made it impossible for the villagers to save the granary.

## Examples

- The doctor prescribed cream to reduce the inflammation in my knee.
- Chronic inflammation can lead to long-term health problems if it is not treated with the correct medication and diet.
- While acute inflammation is a necessary part of the body's immune response to pathogens, systemic inflammation is increasingly linked to various degenerative diseases in older populations.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.