ablaze

comparative more ablaze · superlative most ablaze

1. Burning fiercely; in a blaze; on fire.First known use 18th century.

   1791, The Bee, Volume 4, Short Chronicle of Events, 27 July, 1791, p. v, On entering the walls which surround the house, then all ablaze, a most dreadful conflict took place […]

   4 more examples

   The canoe, a dim shadowy thing, moves across the black water, / Bearing a torch ablaze at the prow.

   1881, Walt Whitman, “The Torch”, in Leaves of Grass, Boston: James R. Osgood, page 305

   So Wang and Tiger’s men rushed into such houses as were not too ablaze and they began to drag out booty of silken pieces and yards of cloth and garments and anything they could carry.

   1932, Pearl S. Buck, chapter 13, in Sons, Wakefield, RI: Moyer Bell, published 1992, pages 128-129

   Tony Stark makes you feel He’s a cool exec with a heart of steel. As Iron Man, all jets ablaze, He’s fighting and smiting with repulsor rays! Amazing armor! That’s Iron Man! A blazing power! That’s Iron Man!

   1966, “Iron Man (theme song)”, Jacques Urbont (lyrics) (The Marvel Super Heroes (television series))

   Mario Balotelli, in the headlines for accidentally setting his house ablaze with fireworks, put City on their way with goals either side of the interval as United struggled to contain the array of attacking talent in front of them.

   2011 October 23, Phil McNulty, “Man Utd 1 - 6 Man City”, in BBC Sport

2. Radiant with bright light and color.First known use 18th century.

   All ablaze with crimson and gold.

   1872, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Christus: A Mystery

   4 more examples

   The Heav’ns are all a-blaze, the face of night Is cover’d with a sanguine dreadful light:

   1716, John Gay, Trivia, 3rd edition, London: Bernard Lintot, published 1730, Book 3, p. 64

   The day being June the thirtieth, which is the very high-tide time of summer flowers, the immediate neighbourhood of the castle was ablaze with roses, pinks, pansies, carnations, hollyhocks, columbines, larkspurs, London pride, Canterbury bells, and a multitude of other choice blooms.

   1923, P. G. Wodehouse, chapter I, in Leave It to Psmith

   She loved this hour when the lights were coming up in the causeway: white and blue and orange lights and the hotels and coloured adverts ablaze but not yet effective in the pale twilight.

   1961, Cyprian Ekwensi, chapter 3, in Jagua Nana, Greenwich, CT: Fawcett, published 1969, page 13

   Autumn is a lovely time to visit as the tree cover near the line is ablaze with colour.

   2021 July 28, Paul Bigland, “Calder line captures picturesque Pennines”, in RAIL, number 936, page 69

3. In a state of glowing excitement, ardent desire, or other strong emotion.First known use 17th century.

   Raoul was ablaze with indignation.

   1880, George Washington Cable, chapter 40, in The Grandissimes, New York: Scribner, page 318

   4 more examples

   c. 1680, uncredited translator, An Essay upon the Action of an Orator by Michel Le Faucheur, London: Nicholas Cox, pp. 184-185, And this Fire of your Eyes easily strikes those of your Auditors, who have theirs constantly fixt upon yours; and it must needs set them a-blaze too upon the same Resentment and Passion.

   The young Cambridge democrats were all ablaze to assist Torrijos.

   1851, Thomas Carlyle, The Life of John Sterling

   His indifference to Carmen, who has all the other males in sight quivering with a passion never seen on land or sea, sets her ablaze; in a series of scenes which it is difficult to call erotic without adding that they are also infantile, she goes after him and he falls.

   1955, James Baldwin, “Carmen Jones: The Dark is Light Enough”, in Notes of a Native Son, New York: Dial, published 1963, page 48

   […] Dawit, glorious and fearless, charging at the enemy, […] his eyes ablaze with a hatred so pure that for a moment, the ascaro draws back before he lifts his weapon and aims.

   2019, Maaza Mengiste, The Shadow King, Edinburgh: Canongate

comparative more ablaze · superlative most ablaze

1. On fire; in a blaze.First known use Early 19th century.

   […] with the spontaneous combustion the house smouldered ablaze.

   1969, Ray Bradbury, “The Haunting of the New”, in I Sing the Body Electric!, New York: Knopf, page 143

2. Lit up brightly and with color, gleaming.
3. In a state of glowing excitement or ardent desire.