afire

adjective or adverb

ə-ˈfī(-ə)r 

1

: being on fire : blazing

2

: being in a state of great excitement or energy

her music set the audience afire

Synonyms

• ablaze
• aflame
• alight [chiefly British]
• blazing
• burning
• combusting
• conflagrant
• fiery
• flaming
• ignited
• inflamed
• enflamed
• kindled
• lit
• lighted

Examples of afire in a Sentence

looked down upon a tract of the forest, which was all afire

Recent Examples on the Web

Strong winds and clouds in part forced General Curtis LeMay to change tactics by taking his B-29s to lower elevations and dropping incendiary rather than general-purpose bombs, thereby setting Tokyo afire with napalm. —Victor Davis Hanson, National Review, 18 Oct. 2017

Word History

Etymology

Middle English afire, afure, from a- a- entry 1 + fire, fure, dative of fir, fur fire entry 1

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing afire

• set something afire/aflame/ablaze

Kids Definition

afire

adjective or adverb

ə-ˈfī(ə)r 

: being on fire