What does "inflammatory" mean?

1. (causing anger) intended to make people feel very angry or to start a fight. 2. (medical swelling) relating to or causing heat, pain, and swelling in the body.

How do you use "inflammatory"?

Often used to describe speech, writing, or political actions. Commonly modifies nouns like 'condition', 'response', 'disease', or 'process'.

inflammatory

adj.

US //ɪnˈfɫæməˌtɔɹi// UK //ɪnflˈæmətəɹˌi// in·flam·ma·to·ry

1 causing anger (adj.)
C1 Advanced Formal

intended to make people feel very angry or to start a fight.

tending to excite anger, disorder, or tumult; provocative in a way that incites a strong emotional or social reaction.

Example

The politician was criticized for making inflammatory comments about his opponents during the debate.

Example

The editorial was condemned for its inflammatory rhetoric, which many feared would incite further unrest in the already divided city.

Usage

Often used to describe speech, writing, or political actions.
2 medical swelling (adj.)
C1 Advanced Technical Medicine

relating to or causing heat, pain, and swelling in the body.

pertaining to, characterized by, or causing inflammation within a biological system.

Example

Arthritis is an inflammatory condition that makes the joints feel stiff and painful.

Example

The patient presented with a chronic inflammatory response that had not responded to standard steroid treatments over the previous six months.

Usage

Commonly modifies nouns like 'condition', 'response', 'disease', or 'process'.
- swelling
- anti inflammatory

Origin

From inflame + -atory.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Last updated June 20, 2026