Word
inflammatory
Phoneticsin·flam·ma·to·ry
US/ɪnˈfɫæməˌtɔɹi/
UK/ɪnflˈæmətəɹˌi/
Definitions
01causing anger
adj. intended to make people feel very angry or to start a fight.
adj. tending to excite anger, disorder, or tumult; provocative in a way that incites a strong emotional or social reaction.
“The politician was criticized for making inflammatory comments about his opponents during the debate.”
“The editorial was condemned for its inflammatory rhetoric, which many feared would incite further unrest in the already divided city.”
Formal
Usage
Often used to describe speech, writing, or political actions.
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Antonyms
02medical swelling
adj. relating to or causing heat, pain, and swelling in the body.
adj. pertaining to, characterized by, or causing inflammation within a biological system.
“Arthritis is an inflammatory condition that makes the joints feel stiff and painful.”
“The patient presented with a chronic inflammatory response that had not responded to standard steroid treatments over the previous six months.”
Technical
Usage
Commonly modifies nouns like 'condition', 'response', 'disease', or 'process'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“H1 and H2 antihistamines are also used as a first-line treatment for a condition called mast cell activation syndrome, which is related to the body releasing excessive amounts of histamine and other inflammatory chemicals.” “Beginning around age 50, the brain’s memory center appears to lose many of its longtime immune cells and replace them with more inflammatory ones.” Etymology
From inflame + -atory.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/inflammatory