flame
6 synonyms for flame, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The visible, glowing part of a fire.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
The visible, glowing part of a fire.
“Turn the gas down until the flame is small and blue.”
2. verb
To post an angry, insulting message online, or to burn with visible flames.
“Readers flamed the writer in the comments after the badly judged article went up.”
How to use flame
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
burst into flame
an old flame
flame war
Etymology
From Old French flame/flambe, both going back to Latin flamma, "flame," from a very old Indo-European root meaning "to shine or gleam."
Full origin of flame →Frequently asked questions
What does “flame” mean?
The word “flame” means the visible, glowing part of a fire. In plain terms, the burning, glowing part of fire — also used for an old romance, or for aggressively insulting someone online.
How do you pronounce “flame”?
“Flame” is pronounced flaym (/fleɪm/ in IPA).
How do you use “flame” in a sentence?
Here is “flame” used in a sentence: “A single candle flame lit the room.”
What part of speech is “flame”?
Depending on how it is used, “flame” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “flame” come from?
The word “flame” comes from Latin. From Old French flame/flambe, both going back to Latin flamma, "flame," from a very old Indo-European root meaning "to shine or gleam.".
Is “flame” a common word?
“Flame” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
How many meanings does “flame” have?
“Flame” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the visible, glowing part of a fire.
What is the difference between a flame and a fire?
A fire is the whole event of combustion — burning material, heat, light, and smoke — while a flame is specifically the visible, glowing part of a fire. One fire can produce many flames, and some burning, such as glowing embers, produces no visible flame at all.
What is a twin flame?
Twin flame is an informal, spiritual term for a person with whom someone feels an unusually intense, mirror-like romantic or personal bond, often described as deeper than a soulmate. The idea is popular in relationship writing but has no scientific basis; linguistically it builds on flame's sense of an intense romance.
