Standard Lemma guide

flammable

adj · noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈflæməbəl/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: F L AE1 M AH0 B AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Capable of burning.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Near-synonym: ignitable
  • flammable liquid

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inflammable[contranym]]ic senses>, combustible, ignitable

Antonyms: inflammable[contranym]]ic senses>, non-flammable, nonflammable, noninflammable, unflammable, uninflammable, fireproof, incombustible

2

adj

Meaning 2

Easily set on fire.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Near-synonym: ignitable

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inflammable[contranym]]ic senses>, ignitable

Antonyms: inflammable[contranym]]ic senses>, non-flammable, nonflammable, noninflammable, unflammable, uninflammable, fireproof, incombustible

Broader terms: combustible, dangerous, hazardous

3

adj

Meaning 3

Easily set on fire.

Subject to easy ignition and rapid flaming combustion.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inflammable[contranym]]ic senses>, ignitable

Antonyms: inflammable[contranym]]ic senses>, non-flammable, nonflammable, noninflammable, unflammable, uninflammable, fireproof, incombustible

Broader terms: combustible, dangerous, hazardous

4

adj

Meaning 4

Very likely to cause fighting or controversy; extremely contentious.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Any flammable substance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

easily ignited

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inflammable

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

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-.

Across languages

Translations

66 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: леснозапалим (lesnozapalim) — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Catalan: inflamable — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Chinese Mandarin: 易燃 (yìrán) — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Czech: hořlavý — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Danish: brændbar — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Dutch: ontvlambaar — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Dutch: brandbaar — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Esperanto: brulema — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Finnish: palava — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • French: inflammable — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • French: enflammable — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Georgian: აალებადი (aalebadi) — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Georgian: წვადი (c̣vadi) — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Georgian: ცეცხლსაშიში (cecxlsašiši) — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • German: brennbar — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • German: entzündbar — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • German: entflammbar — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Greek: εύφλεκτος (éfflektos) — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Greek: αναφλέξιμος (anafléximos) — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Greek: εκρηκτικός (ekriktikós) — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Greek: ευέξαπτος (evéxaptos) — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Hebrew: דליק (dalík) — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Hungarian: éghető — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Icelandic: eldfimur — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Irish: inlasta — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Irish: so-lasta — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Irish: so-adhainte — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Irish: inadhainte — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Italian: infiammabile — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Luxembourgish: feiergeféierlech — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Norwegian: brennbar — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Polish: łatwopalny — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Polish: łatwopalna — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Polish: łatwopalne — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Portuguese: inflamável — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Russian: огнеопа́сный (ogneopásnyj) — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Russian: легковоспламеня́ющийся (lexkovosplamenjájuščijsja) — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Spanish: inflamable — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Swedish: brännbar — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Tagalog: takaw-apoy — capable of burning — see also inflammable
  • Catalan: inflamable — easily set on fire
  • Chinese Mandarin: 易燃 (Yì rán) — easily set on fire
  • Czech: hořlavý — easily set on fire
  • Danish: brandfarlig — easily set on fire
  • Danish: letantændelig — easily set on fire
  • Dutch: licht ontvlambaar — easily set on fire
  • Esperanto: flamema — easily set on fire
  • Esperanto: flamiĝema — easily set on fire
  • Esperanto: brulema — easily set on fire
  • Finnish: herkästi syttyvä — easily set on fire
  • Finnish: syttyvä — easily set on fire
  • French: inflammable — easily set on fire
  • French: enflammable — easily set on fire
  • Georgian: აალებადი (aalebadi) — easily set on fire
  • Georgian: წვადი (c̣vadi) — easily set on fire
  • Georgian: ცეცხლსაშიში (cecxlsašiši) — easily set on fire
  • German: feuergefährlich — easily set on fire
  • German: leichtentzündlich — easily set on fire
  • Greek: εύφλεκτος (éfflektos) — easily set on fire
  • Hungarian: gyúlékony — easily set on fire
  • Spanish: inflamable — easily set on fire
  • Swedish: lättantändlig — easily set on fire
  • Swedish: brandfarlig — easily set on fire
  • French: inflammable — subject to easy ignition and rapid flaming combustion
  • French: enflammable — subject to easy ignition and rapid flaming combustion
  • Hungarian: lobbanékony — subject to easy ignition and rapid flaming combustion