Meanings
comparative more flammable · superlative most flammable
- Capable of burning.
flammable liquid
1 more example
Near-synonym: ignitable
Synonyms: inflammable[contronym]]ic senses>, combustible, ignitable · Antonyms: inflammable[contronym]]ic senses>, non-flammable, nonflammable, noninflammable, unflammable, uninflammable, fireproof, incombustible
- Easily set on fire.
Near-synonym: ignitable
Synonyms: inflammable[contronym]]ic senses>, ignitable · Antonyms: inflammable[contronym]]ic senses>, non-flammable, nonflammable, noninflammable, unflammable, uninflammable, fireproof, incombustible
- Subject to easy ignition and rapid flaming combustion.
Synonyms: inflammable[contronym]]ic senses>, ignitable · Antonyms: inflammable[contronym]]ic senses>, non-flammable, nonflammable, noninflammable, unflammable, uninflammable, fireproof, incombustible
- figurativelyVery likely to cause fighting or controversy; extremely contentious.
With her play Diamond Lil, she discovered a way to sneak her flammable subject matter past the censors.
2004, Elizabeth Prioleau, Seductress: Women Who Ravished the World and Their Lost Art of Love4 more examples
In considering the possible commitment of U.S. forces to South Vietnam , the Joint Chiefs of Staff have reviewed the overall critical situation in Southeast Asia with particular emphasis upon the present highly flammable situation in South Vietnam.
1971, United States. Department of Defense, United States-Vietnam Relations, 1945-1967, page 42They could stuff their ears with cotton, but they could not, after all, fight such flammable ideas ( at least not in the public squares where Attucks's war whoops could still be heard ).
2002, Gregory Toledo, The Hanging of Old Brown, page 27King's words touch on a higher law of leadership, that the solution to a sensitive and highly contentious and even flammable situation often lies in doing the opposite of what is expected and even perceived as normal or 'natural'.
2015, Adriaan Groenewald, Seamless Leadership: A passion to perform in South AfricaEvelyn realized that Adam's flammable words and angry eyes were only the form of his untold pain, holding the strongest words of his heart, unspoken.
2021, Esra Gultakin, In the Shallows: Awaken Your Mind
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveCapable of burning.
adjectiveEasily set on fire.
adjectiveSubject to easy ignition and rapid flaming combustion.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectiveeasily ignited
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Back-formation from inflammable, which is used to avoid confusion with non-flammable, as the prefix in- is often used to mean "un-; non-", although it was originally meant in a sense closely related to en-.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian леснозапалим
- леснозапалим (lesnozapalim)capable of burning — see also inflammable
Catalan inflamable, inflamable
- inflamablecapable of burning — see also inflammable
- inflamableeasily set on fire
Chinese Mandarin 易燃, 易燃
- 易燃 (yìrán)capable of burning — see also inflammable
- 易燃 (Yì rán)easily set on fire
Czech hořlavý, hořlavý
- hořlavýcapable of burning — see also inflammable
- hořlavýeasily set on fire
Danish brændbar, brandfarlig
- brændbarcapable of burning — see also inflammable
- brandfarligeasily set on fire
- letantændeligeasily set on fire
Dutch ontvlambaar, brandbaar
- ontvlambaarcapable of burning — see also inflammable
- brandbaarcapable of burning — see also inflammable
- licht ontvlambaareasily set on fire
Esperanto brulema, flamema
- brulemacapable of burning — see also inflammable
- flamemaeasily set on fire
- flamiĝemaeasily set on fire
- brulemaeasily set on fire
Finnish palava, herkästi syttyvä
- palavacapable of burning — see also inflammable
- herkästi syttyväeasily set on fire
- syttyväeasily set on fire
French inflammable, enflammable
- inflammablecapable of burning — see also inflammable
- enflammablecapable of burning — see also inflammable
- inflammablesubject to easy ignition and rapid flaming combustion
- enflammablesubject to easy ignition and rapid flaming combustion
- inflammableeasily set on fire
- enflammableeasily set on fire
German brennbar, entzündbar
- brennbarcapable of burning — see also inflammable
- entzündbarcapable of burning — see also inflammable
- entflammbarcapable of burning — see also inflammable
- feuergefährlicheasily set on fire
- leichtentzündlicheasily set on fire
Greek εύφλεκτος, αναφλέξιμος
- εύφλεκτος (éfflektos)capable of burning — see also inflammable
- αναφλέξιμος (anafléximos)capable of burning — see also inflammable
- εκρηκτικός (ekriktikós)capable of burning — see also inflammable
- ευέξαπτος (evéxaptos)capable of burning — see also inflammable
- εύφλεκτος (éfflektos)easily set on fire
Hebrew דליק
- דליק (dalík)capable of burning — see also inflammable
Hungarian éghető, lobbanékony
- éghetőcapable of burning — see also inflammable
- lobbanékonysubject to easy ignition and rapid flaming combustion
- gyúlékonyeasily set on fire
Icelandic eldfimur
- eldfimurcapable of burning — see also inflammable
Irish inlasta, so-lasta
- inlastacapable of burning — see also inflammable
- so-lastacapable of burning — see also inflammable
- so-adhaintecapable of burning — see also inflammable
- inadhaintecapable of burning — see also inflammable
Italian infiammabile
- infiammabilecapable of burning — see also inflammable
Norwegian brennbar
- brennbarcapable of burning — see also inflammable
Polish łatwopalny, łatwopalna
- łatwopalnycapable of burning — see also inflammable
- łatwopalnacapable of burning — see also inflammable
- łatwopalnecapable of burning — see also inflammable
Portuguese inflamável
- inflamávelcapable of burning — see also inflammable
Russian огнеопа́сный, легковоспламеня́ющийся
- огнеопа́сный (ogneopásnyj)capable of burning — see also inflammable
- легковоспламеня́ющийся (lexkovosplamenjájuščijsja)capable of burning — see also inflammable
Spanish inflamable, inflamable
- inflamablecapable of burning — see also inflammable
- inflamableeasily set on fire
Swedish brännbar, lättantändlig
- brännbarcapable of burning — see also inflammable
- lättantändligeasily set on fire
- brandfarligeasily set on fire
Tagalog takaw-apoy
- takaw-apoycapable of burning — see also inflammable
Cite this entry
flammable. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/flammable
“flammable.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/flammable. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “flammable,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/flammable.
Source: flammable on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.