conflagrate

C3O1N1F4L1A1G2R1A1T1E1
US/ˈkɑn.flə.ɡreɪt/

verb

To catch fire.

Similar
go up in flamescatch firecatch on firecombustfirego up in smokeignitelight
OriginLatin cōnflāgrātus →
First used 17th century to the presentScrabble 17
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Meanings

verbconflagrate (third-person singular simple present conflagrates, present participle conflagrating, simple past and past participle conflagrated)

present singular third person conflagrates · participle present conflagrating · participle past conflagrated · past conflagrated

  1. intransitiveTo catch fire.First known use 17th century to the present

    Synonyms: go up in flames, catch fire, catch on fire, combust, fire, go up in flames, go up in smoke, ignite

  2. transitiveTo set fire to something.First known use 17th century to the present

    Synonyms: ignite, kindle, aflame, alight, fire, fire up, ignite, inflame

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo catch fire.

Similar
go up in flamescatch firecatch on firecombustfirego up in flamesgo up in smokeignitelightspunktake fire

verbTo set fire to something.

Similar
ignitekindleaflamealightfirefire upigniteinflameenkindlelightlight upset ablazeset afireset aflameset alightset fireset on firetorch

More synonyms by meaning

verbcause to start burning

Similar
kindleenkindleinflame
Broader
ignitelight

verbstart to burn or burst into flames

Similar
eruptignitecatch firetake firecombustburn
Broader
change stateturn
Also see
burn upcatch firecombustenkindleeruptfirefire upgo up in flamesgo up in smokeigniteincenseinflamekindlelightlight upquickenset alightset on firespunktake firetorch

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latincōnflāgrātus
  2. Englishconflagrate

First attested in 1657; borrowed from Latin cōnflāgrātus, perfect passive participial of cōnflāgrō (“to be consumed by fire; (rare) to set aflame”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

conflagrate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/conflagrate

MLA

“conflagrate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/conflagrate. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “conflagrate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/conflagrate.

Source: conflagrate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.