flame
gb/flˈeɪm/ us/flˈeɪm/
B1
English
~ 7000
láng, sértő online üzenet, flém, gyalázkodó hozzászólás, sérteget, flémel, sértő üzenetet ír, lángol, fellángol, lángra kap, olt, cikiz, ízekre szed, szerelem
NOUN
B1
1
láng
A2
Usage pattern:
a/an [adjective] flame
The candle flame flickered in the cold air.
A gyertya lángja pislákolt a hideg levegőben.
Turn down the gas if the flame gets too high.
Vedd lejjebb a gázt, ha túl nagy a láng.
A sudden wind blew the flame out.
The flames from the campfire lit up their faces.
She watched the orange flames dance in the fireplace.
Learner examples
The flame on the candle is very small.
A gyertyán nagyon kicsi a láng.
Be careful; the flame on the stove is hot.
Vigyázz, a tűzhely lángja forró.
The wind made the flame move from side to side.
He lit the flame with a match.
Rain can make a small flame go out.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'flame' when they mean 'fire' in general. Use 'fire' for the whole thing (e.g. 'There is a fire in the kitchen'), and 'flame' only for the visible burning part (e.g. 'The flames are very high').
Meaning
the visible part of a fire
Collocations
candle flame
|blue flame
|bright flame
|the flame flickered
|a flame goes out
|burst into flames
Synonyms
blaze (Often suggests a larger, stronger or more dramatic flame or fire.)
Antonyms
ember (Refers to a small, glowing piece of coal or wood after the flame has mostly gone out.)
Themes
nature
|science
|daily life
Definition
The bright, moving part of a fire that you can see.
The hot, glowing gas that is visible when something burns.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
a flame about [topic]
The moderator deleted several racist flames from the forum.
A moderátor több rasszista, gyalázkodó hozzászólást törölt a fórumról.
After her review went viral, she received a stream of angry flames in her inbox.
Miután a kritikája vírusként terjedni kezdett, dühös, sértő üzenetek áradata érkezett a postaládájába.
He posted a long flame attacking the company's new policy.
Please report any personal flames to the site admins.
The post attracted both support and harsh flames from readers.
Learner examples
She got a flame after she wrote her comment.
Sértő üzenetet kapott, miután megírta a hozzászólását.
Some people send flames when they are angry online.
Vannak, akik sértő üzeneteket küldenek, amikor dühösek az interneten.
The teacher told the students not to write flames in the group chat.
He deleted the flame without reading it.
Flames can make online spaces feel unsafe.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'flame' with 'flame war'. A single angry message is a 'flame'; a back-and-forth series of such messages is often called a 'flame war'.
Meaning
angry or abusive online message
Collocations
get a flame
|post a flame
|ignore the flames
|anonymous flame
|email flame
|reply with a flame
Synonyms
rant (Often longer and more emotional; not always directly insulting one person.)
Antonyms
compliment (A positive, kind message, the opposite of an insulting flame.)
Themes
technology
|communication
|emotions
Definition
A very angry or rude message that someone sends online, for example in email or comments.
An angry, insulting, or aggressive message sent electronically, especially on the internet.
VERB
B2
INFORMAL
3
Usage pattern:
to flame [someone] (online)
She got flamed on Twitter after sharing her opinion about the movie.
Sértegették a Twitteren, miután megosztotta a véleményét a filmről.
Please don't flame other users in the comments section.
Kérlek, ne sértegess más felhasználókat a hozzászólások között.
He spent the evening flaming critics of his favorite band.
The blogger was heavily flamed for using stolen photos.
If you flame the mods, your account may be banned.
Learner examples
People sometimes flame each other in online games.
Az emberek néha sértegetik egymást az online játékokban.
He was upset, so he flamed his friend in a text.
Dühös volt, ezért sértő üzenetet írt a barátjának.
Do not flame other students in the class chat.
She felt bad after strangers flamed her on social media.
The website warns users not to flame or use bad language.
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'flame' can be used for any kind of criticism. It usually suggests rude, hostile, or attacking language, especially online, not calm disagreement.
Meaning
send angry messages online
Collocations
flame someone
|get flamed
|users flaming each other
|flame the author
|stop flaming people
Synonyms
insult (More general and not limited to online settings; can be spoken or written.)
Antonyms
praise (To speak or write positively about someone, the opposite of flaming them.)
Themes
technology
|communication
|emotions
Definition
To write and send a very angry or rude message to someone online.
To send an angry, insulting, or aggressive message electronically, especially on the internet.
VERB
B2
4
Usage pattern:
to flame (up)
The dry grass flamed up as soon as the match touched it.
A száraz fű lángra kapott, amint a gyufa hozzáért.
Torches flamed on both sides of the old stone gate.
Fáklyák lángoltak a régi kőkapu mindkét oldalán.
The oil-soaked rags flamed when they came near the heater.
Within seconds, the whole stack of papers was flaming.
The wreckage of the car was still flaming when the firefighters arrived.
Learner examples
The wood flamed when he lit it.
A fa lángra kapott, amikor meggyújtotta.
The fire flamed up quickly in the wind.
A tűz gyorsan fellángolt a szélben.
Old papers can flame very fast.
The torch flamed in the dark night.
They watched the dry leaves flame and turn to ash.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes overuse this verb for common actions, saying things like *"He flamed the candle"*. In everyday English, people usually say "He lit the candle"; 'flame' as a verb is less common and more descriptive.
Meaning
burn with visible flames
Collocations
the fire flamed up
|logs flaming in the fireplace
|torches flaming
|a flaming torch
|flaming wreckage
|flaming debris
Synonyms
blaze (Often suggests a stronger, larger or more intense burning than 'flame'.)
Antonyms
smolder (To burn slowly without much flame, the opposite of burning with clear flames.)
Themes
nature
|science
Definition
To burn with a bright fire that you can see, or to make something burn like this.
To burn and give off visible flames, or to cause something to do so.
VERB
C1
SLANG
5
Usage pattern:
to flame [someone] for [something]
The comedian completely flamed the front row for arriving late.
A humorista teljesen szétszedte az első sorban ülőket, amiért késve érkeztek.
Her friends flamed her for wearing the same sweater three days in a row.
A barátai cikizték, amiért három nap egymás után ugyanazt a pulóvert vette fel.
Fans flamed the actor online after his rude comment.
He loves to flame his teammates when they make mistakes.
They spent the whole lunch break flaming each other's fashion choices.
Learner examples
His classmates flamed him for his new haircut.
Az osztálytársai cikizték az új frizurája miatt.
Please don't flame me if you don't like my idea.
Kérlek, ne szedj szét, ha nem tetszik az ötletem.
They like to flame each other, but it is just a joke.
The singer was flamed after the bad show.
I felt bad when my friends flamed me in front of other people.
Common mistake:
Learners may think this verb is neutral. In fact, it is slang and can sound rude or aggressive, so it should be used carefully and usually only with friends or in very informal contexts.
Meaning
harshly criticize or insult
Collocations
flame him for his outfit
|got flamed in the group chat
|flame her in front of everyone
|they were flaming each other
|fans flamed the director
Synonyms
roast (Often used for playful or humorous criticism among friends, though it can also be harsh.)
Antonyms
compliment (To say something nice about someone instead of criticizing them.)
Themes
emotions
|communication
|slang
Definition
To say very strong and often mean things about someone, sometimes as a joke.
To strongly insult, criticize, or make fun of someone, often in a sharp or mocking way.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
6
szerelem
A2
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s old flame
He ran into an old flame at the high school reunion.
Összefutott egy régi szerelmével az osztálytalálkozón.
Rumor has it that the singer is back together with a former flame.
A pletykák szerint az énekes újra összejött egy volt szerelmével.
She introduced him to her new flame at the party.
The novel follows a woman who reconnects with an old college flame.
He still writes to a secret flame he met while traveling.
Learner examples
She met an old flame on the street yesterday.
Tegnap az utcán találkozott egy régi szerelmével.
He is her new flame, and they are very happy.
Ő az új szerelme, és nagyon boldogok.
In the film, the man visits an old flame in Paris.
He wonders what his first flame is doing now.
Her old flame called her after many years.
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use 'flame' alone to mean 'boyfriend' or 'girlfriend' in all situations. In modern English it is mostly used in set phrases like 'old flame' or 'new flame', often with a slightly nostalgic or story-like feeling.
Meaning
person of romantic interest
Collocations
old flame
|former flame
|an old college flame
|a new flame
|summer flame
|secret flame
Synonyms
lover (More direct and sometimes more serious or adult; 'flame' is often lighter or nostalgic.)
Antonyms
platonic friend (A friend with no romantic relationship, the opposite of a romantic 'flame'.)
Themes
relationships
|emotions
|daily life
Definition
Someone you love or loved in a romantic way, especially in the past.
A person with whom someone has, or used to have, a romantic or sexual relationship.
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
7
láng
B2
Usage pattern:
the flames of [emotion]
The novel describes the flames of hatred that grew between the two families.
A regény a két család között egyre erősödő gyűlölet lángjait írja le.
Despite everything, a small flame of hope still burned inside her.
Mindennek ellenére a remény egy kis lángja még mindig égett benne.
Their brief meeting reignited the old flame of desire.
He tried to hide the flame of jealousy in his eyes.
The speech sparked a new flame of protest across the country.
Learner examples
The book talks about the flames of love and hate.
A könyv a szerelem és a gyűlölet lángjairól szól.
She keeps a flame of hope in her heart.
A remény lángját őrzi a szívében.
A small flame of anger grew inside him.
The story shows the flame of young love.
His words lit a flame of change in the town.
Meaning
very strong emotion (literary)
Collocations
the flames of passion
|flames of anger
|the flame of hope
|keep the flame alive
|a flame of jealousy
|the flame of youth
Synonyms
passion (Neutral literary word for strong feeling; does not carry the image of burning fire.)
Antonyms
calm (A quiet, controlled emotional state, without strong burning feelings.)
Themes
emotions
|literature
Definition
A very strong feeling, especially love or anger, that is described as if it were a fire.
A very strong emotion, especially love, anger, or passion, described as if it were burning like fire.
Grammar
Dictionary form
flame
IPA
GB/flˈeɪm/
US/flˈeɪm/
Syllables & stress
flame (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (flame)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: flame
- Plural: flame, flames
Verb
- Base: flame
- 3rd Person Singular: flames
- Present Participle: flaming
- Past: flamed
Word family
Forms
flames
noun
flaming
verb
flamed
verb
Core family
flammable
adjective
Related words
flammability
noun
Negative and opposite forms
nonflammable
adjective
flameless
adjective
Advanced or less common
inflammable
adjective
Expressions
add fuel to the flames
1/ˈæd fjˈul tə ðə flˈeɪmz/
idiom
make a bad situation worse
To make a bad or tense situation even worse by what you say or do.
Examples
- His rude reply only added fuel to the flames.
- Publishing the photos would add fuel to the flames of the scandal.
- Don't add fuel to the flames by arguing with them now.
flame out
1/flˈeɪm ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
informal
fail suddenly after early success
To fail or lose success very suddenly after doing well before.
Examples
- The startup raised millions and then flamed out in just two years.
- He was a top student in high school but flamed out in college.
- The team flamed out in the playoffs after a great season.
flame war
1/flˈeɪm wˈɔɹ/
fixed phrase
informal
long, angry online argument
A long, angry fight on the internet where people send rude messages to each other.
Examples
- The comment section turned into a flame war within hours.
- Mods closed the thread to stop a growing flame war.
- A simple question started a huge flame war on the forum.
go up in flames
1/ɡˈoʊ ˈʌp ˈɪn flˈeɪmz/
idiom
be destroyed or fail completely
To be destroyed by fire, or to fail very suddenly and completely.
Examples
- The old warehouse went up in flames before firefighters could arrive.
- After the scandal, his political career went up in flames.
- Years of hard work went up in flames when the company collapsed.
in flames
1/ˈɪn flˈeɪmz/
fixed phrase
burning, covered in fire
Burning with fire; on fire.
Examples
- By the time they escaped, the whole building was in flames.
- The truck was in flames when the firefighters arrived.
- Within minutes, the forest was in flames.
old flame
1/ˈoʊld flˈeɪm/
idiom
former romantic partner
Someone you loved or dated in the past.
Examples
- She had coffee with an old flame while visiting her hometown.
- The film is about a man who marries his old flame after thirty years.
- He was nervous about seeing an old flame at the reunion.
burst into flames
1/bˈɚst ˈɪntu flˈeɪmz/
fixed phrase
suddenly start burning
To suddenly start to burn with strong flames.
Examples
- The car burst into flames after hitting the wall.
- The car burst into flames after the crash.
- Dry leaves can burst into flames very easily.
- Dry leaves can burst into flames if you drop a match on them.
- The moment the match touched the paper, it burst into flames.
fan the flames
1/fˈæn ðə flˈeɪmz/
idiom
Make situation or emotion worse/stronger
To make an already bad or emotional situation even stronger or worse.
Examples
- His comments only fanned the flames of the argument.
- The politician's comments only fanned the flames of public anger.
- The scandal fanned the flames of public anger.
- Sharing unconfirmed rumors can fan the flames of fear.
- Instead of calming things down, he fanned the flames by shouting back.