inflate

[ in-fleyt ]
See synonyms for: inflateinflated on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),in·flat·ed, in·flat·ing.
  1. to distend; swell or puff out; dilate: The king cobra inflates its hood.

  2. to cause to expand or distend with air or gas: to inflate a balloon.

  1. to puff up with pride, satisfaction, etc.

  2. to elate.

  3. Economics. to expand (money, prices, an economy, etc.) unduly in amount, value, or size; affect with inflation.

verb (used without object),in·flat·ed, in·flat·ing.
  1. to become inflated.

  2. to increase, especially suddenly and substantially: The $10 subscription has inflated to $25.

Origin of inflate

1
First recorded in 1500–20; from Latin inflātus, past participle of inflāre “to blow on or into, puff out,” equivalent to in- in-2 + flā- blow2 + -tus past participle suffix

synonym study For inflate

1. See expand.

Opposites for inflate

Other words from inflate

  • in·flat·er, in·fla·tor, noun
  • o·ver·in·flate, verb (used with object), o·ver·in·flat·ed, o·ver·in·flat·ing.
  • re·in·flate, verb, re·in·flat·ed, re·in·flat·ing.

Words Nearby inflate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use inflate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for inflate

inflate

/ (ɪnˈfleɪt) /


verb
  1. to expand or cause to expand by filling with gas or air: she needed to inflate the tyres

  2. (tr) to cause to increase excessively; puff up; swell: to inflate one's opinion of oneself

  1. (tr) to cause inflation of (prices, money, etc)

  2. (tr) to raise in spirits; elate

  3. (intr) to undergo economic inflation

Origin of inflate

1
C16: from Latin inflāre to blow into, from flāre to blow

Derived forms of inflate

  • inflatedly, adverb
  • inflatedness, noun
  • inflater or inflator, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012