verb · 10 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
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No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To represent something as being more important, better, or worse than it actually is; to exaggerate.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, transitive
Examples
Israel routinely claims that the Gaza Ministry of Health, which is run by Hamas, has a tendency to inflate the number of Palestinian casualties in the Gaza Strip.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
become inflated
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
The sails ballooned
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: balloon, billow
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: expand
Narrower terms: reflate
7
verb
Meaning 7
fill with gas or air
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
inflate a balloons
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: blow up
Antonyms: deflate
Broader terms: expand
Narrower terms: reflate, billow, surge, heave
8
verb
Meaning 8
exaggerate or make bigger
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
The charges were inflated
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: blow up, expand, amplify
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: increase
Narrower terms: puff up
9
verb
Meaning 9
increase the amount or availability of, creating a rise in value
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
inflate the currency
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: deflate
Broader terms: reduce, cut down, cut back, trim, trim down, trim back, cut, bring down
10
verb
Meaning 10
cause prices to rise by increasing the available currency or credit
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
The war inflated the economy
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: deflate
Broader terms: change, alter, modify
Narrower terms: reflate
History
Etymology
From Latin īnflātus, perfect passive participle of īnflō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Doublet of inblow.
Across languages
Translations
92 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
نَفَخَ
(nafaḵa)
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Armenian:
փչել
(pʻčʻel)
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Bulgarian:
надувам
(naduvam)
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Catalan:
inflar
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Catalan:
unflar
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Chinese Mandarin:
充氣 /充气
(chōngqì)
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Czech:
nafouknout
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Dutch:
opblazen
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Esperanto:
enblovi
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Estonian:
täis puhuma
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Finnish:
täyttää
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
French:
gonfler
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
French:
enfler
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Friulian:
enflâ
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Friulian:
sglonfâ
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
German:
aufblasen
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
German:
aufpumpen
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
German:
aufblähen
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Greek:
φουσκώνω
(fouskóno)
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Ancient Greek:
φυσιόω
(phusióō)
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Hungarian:
felfúj
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Icelandic:
blása upp
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Italian:
enfiare
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Italian:
gonfiare
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Japanese:
膨らませる
(fukuramaseru)
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Latin:
inflō
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Latin:
sufflō
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Latvian:
piepūst
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Macedonian:
надувува
(naduvuva)
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Macedonian:
дува
(duva)
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Māori:
whakamakoha
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Polish:
dmuchać
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Polish:
nadmuchiwać
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Polish:
nadmuchać
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Polish:
nadymać
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Portuguese:
inchar
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Portuguese:
inflar
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Romanian:
umfla
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Russian:
надува́ть
(naduvátʹ)
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Russian:
наду́ть
(nadútʹ)
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Russian:
наполня́ть
(napolnjátʹ)
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Russian:
напо́лнить
(napólnitʹ)
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Russian:
нака́чивать
(nakáčivatʹ)
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Russian:
накача́ть
(nakačátʹ)
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Scottish Gaelic:
sèid
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Slovak:
nafúkať
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Spanish:
inflar
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Spanish:
hinchar
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Spanish:
implar
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Swedish:
blåsa upp
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Turkish:
şişirmek
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Ukrainian:
надува́ти
(naduváty)
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Ukrainian:
надима́ти
(nadymáty)
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Ukrainian:
наду́ти
(nadúty)
— (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
Arabic:
نَفَخَ
(nafaḵa)
— (transitive) to enlarge by filling with gas
Bulgarian:
напомпвам
(napompvam)
— (transitive) to enlarge by filling with gas
Czech:
nafouknout
— (transitive) to enlarge by filling with gas
Finnish:
täyttää
— (transitive) to enlarge by filling with gas
French:
gonfler
— (transitive) to enlarge by filling with gas
German:
aufblasen
— (transitive) to enlarge by filling with gas
Hindi:
फुलाना
(phulānā)
— (transitive) to enlarge by filling with gas
Latin:
sufflō
— (transitive) to enlarge by filling with gas
Polish:
pompować balon
— (transitive) to enlarge by filling with gas
Polish:
napompować balon
— (transitive) to enlarge by filling with gas
Portuguese:
encher
— (transitive) to enlarge by filling with gas
Bulgarian:
надувам се
(naduvam se)
— (intransitive) to become enlarged by being filled with gas
Catalan:
inflar
— (intransitive) to become enlarged by being filled with gas
Catalan:
unflar
— (intransitive) to become enlarged by being filled with gas
Chinese Mandarin:
膨脹 /膨胀
(péngzhàng)
— (intransitive) to become enlarged by being filled with gas
Finnish:
täyttyä
— (intransitive) to become enlarged by being filled with gas
French:
se gonfler
— (intransitive) to become enlarged by being filled with gas
French:
gonfler
— (intransitive) to become enlarged by being filled with gas
Greek:
φουσκώνω
(fouskóno)
— (intransitive) to become enlarged by being filled with gas
Hungarian:
felfúvódik
— (intransitive) to become enlarged by being filled with gas
Japanese:
膨らむ
(fukuramu)
— (intransitive) to become enlarged by being filled with gas
Korean:
부풀리다
(bupullida)
— (intransitive) to become enlarged by being filled with gas
Macedonian:
надувува
(naduvuva)
— (intransitive) to become enlarged by being filled with gas
Macedonian:
дува
(duva)
— (intransitive) to become enlarged by being filled with gas
Māori:
whakamakoha
— (intransitive) to become enlarged by being filled with gas
Russian:
надува́ться
(naduvátʹsja)
— (intransitive) to become enlarged by being filled with gas
Russian:
наду́ться
(nadútʹsja)
— (intransitive) to become enlarged by being filled with gas
Russian:
наполня́ться
(napolnjátʹsja)
— (intransitive) to become enlarged by being filled with gas
Russian:
напо́лниться
(napólnitʹsja)
— (intransitive) to become enlarged by being filled with gas
Russian:
нака́чиваться
(nakáčivatʹsja)
— (intransitive) to become enlarged by being filled with gas
Russian:
накача́ться
(nakačátʹsja)
— (intransitive) to become enlarged by being filled with gas
Thai:
ขยาย
(kà-yǎai)
— (intransitive) to become enlarged by being filled with gas
Turkish:
şişmek
— (intransitive) to become enlarged by being filled with gas
Ottoman Turkish:
شیشمك
(şişmek)
— (intransitive) to become enlarged by being filled with gas
Ottoman Turkish:
قبارمق
(kabarmak)
— (intransitive) to become enlarged by being filled with gas
