Phrase guide

set on fire

verb · 3 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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1

verb

Meaning 1

To cause to begin to burn.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: set afire, set alight, set fire to, set ablaze, set aflame, aflame, alight, conflagrate, fire, fire up, ignite, inflame, kindle, light, light up, set fire, set on fire, torch

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To arouse passionate feelings in.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, transitive

Examples

  • You set my heart on fire.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: set fire to, inflame, ignite, inspire, excite, rouse, animate, awaken, electrify, enflame, enkindle, enthrill, exagitate, exhilarate, exsuscitate, fillip, fire, fire the blood, galvanize, gin up, intoxicate, kindle, quicken, send, set on fire, sharpen, stir the blood, suscitate, thrill, vitalise, wake, warm the blood, whet, wind up, work up, yerk

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

set fire to; cause to start burning

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Lightening set fire to the forest

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: set ablaze, set aflame, set afire

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: burn, combust

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

113 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: nez — cause to begin to burn
  • Armenian: վառել (vaṙel) — cause to begin to burn
  • Armenian: այրել (ayrel) — cause to begin to burn
  • Armenian: հրկիզել (hrkizel) — cause to begin to burn
  • Azerbaijani: odlamaq — cause to begin to burn
  • Azerbaijani: od vurmaq — cause to begin to burn
  • Azerbaijani: yandırmaq — cause to begin to burn
  • Azerbaijani: alışdırmaq — cause to begin to burn
  • Bulgarian: паля (palja) — cause to begin to burn
  • Bulgarian: запалвам (zapalvam) — cause to begin to burn
  • Catalan: encendre — cause to begin to burn
  • Chinese Cantonese: 焚燒 /焚烧 (fan4 siu1) — cause to begin to burn
  • Chinese: 放火 (zh-min-nan) — cause to begin to burn
  • Chinese: 放火燒 /放火烧 (páng-hóe-sio, páng-hé-sio) — cause to begin to burn
  • Chinese Mandarin: 放火 (fànghuǒ) — cause to begin to burn
  • Chinese Mandarin: 點火 /点火 (diǎnhuǒ) — cause to begin to burn
  • Chinese Mandarin: 縱火 /纵火 (zònghuǒ) — cause to begin to burn
  • Czech: zapálit — cause to begin to burn
  • Dutch: in brand steken — cause to begin to burn
  • Dutch: aansteken — cause to begin to burn
  • Esperanto: ekbruligi — cause to begin to burn
  • Finnish: sytyttää — cause to begin to burn
  • French: allumer — cause to begin to burn
  • French: enflammer — cause to begin to burn
  • French: embraser — cause to begin to burn
  • Galician: acender — cause to begin to burn
  • Galician: prender — cause to begin to burn
  • Galician: pregar — cause to begin to burn
  • Georgian: წვავს (c̣vavs) — cause to begin to burn
  • Georgian: დაწვავს (dac̣vavs) — cause to begin to burn
  • German: anzünden — cause to begin to burn
  • German: entzünden — cause to begin to burn
  • Greek: βάζω φωτιά (vázo fotiá) — cause to begin to burn
  • Hebrew: הצית (hitsít) — cause to begin to burn
  • Hebrew: הדליק (hidlík) — cause to begin to burn
  • Hindi: तापना (tāpnā) — cause to begin to burn
  • Hindi: जलाना (jalānā) — cause to begin to burn
  • Hungarian: felgyújt — cause to begin to burn
  • Hungarian: meggyújt — cause to begin to burn
  • Indonesian: membakar — cause to begin to burn
  • Ingrian: virittää — cause to begin to burn
  • Ingrian: syttää — cause to begin to burn
  • Ingrian: sytyttää — cause to begin to burn
  • Italian: incendiare — cause to begin to burn
  • Italian: dare fuoco a — cause to begin to burn
  • Japanese: 火を付ける (hi o tsukeru) — cause to begin to burn
  • Japanese: 着火する (chakka suru) — cause to begin to burn
  • Japanese: 点火する (tenka suru) — cause to begin to burn
  • Japanese: 放火する (hōka suru) — cause to begin to burn
  • Kashmiri: ज़ालुन (zālun) — cause to begin to burn
  • Kashmiri: زالُن (zālun) — cause to begin to burn
  • Kazakh: жағу (jağu) — cause to begin to burn
  • Kazakh: өртеу (örteu) — cause to begin to burn
  • Khmer: ដុត (dot) — cause to begin to burn
  • Korean: 불을 지르다 (bur-eul jireuda) — cause to begin to burn
  • Korean: 점화(點火)하다 (jeomhwahada) — cause to begin to burn
  • Korean: 방화(放火)하다 (banghwahada) — cause to begin to burn
  • Central Kurdish: سووتاندن (sûtandin) — cause to begin to burn
  • Central Kurdish: ئاگرکردن (agirkirdin) — cause to begin to burn
  • Latin: incendō — cause to begin to burn
  • Latin: igniō — cause to begin to burn
  • Latin: accendō — cause to begin to burn
  • Latin: flammō — cause to begin to burn
  • Latvian: aizdedzināt — cause to begin to burn
  • Lithuanian: padegti — cause to begin to burn
  • Malay: bakar — cause to begin to burn
  • Polish: podpalić — cause to begin to burn
  • Polish: zapalić — cause to begin to burn
  • Portuguese: queimar — cause to begin to burn
  • Portuguese: atear — cause to begin to burn
  • Portuguese: incendiar — cause to begin to burn
  • Portuguese: colocar fogo — cause to begin to burn
  • Portuguese: botar/tacar fogo — cause to begin to burn
  • Romanian: da foc — cause to begin to burn
  • Russian: подже́чь (podžéčʹ) — cause to begin to burn
  • Russian: заже́чь (zažéčʹ) — cause to begin to burn
  • Russian: запали́ть (zapalítʹ) — cause to begin to burn
  • Samoan: tutu i afi — cause to begin to burn
  • Slovak: zapáliť — cause to begin to burn
  • Slovak: podpáliť — cause to begin to burn
  • Spanish: pegar fuego — cause to begin to burn
  • Spanish: prender fuego — cause to begin to burn
  • Spanish: incendiar — cause to begin to burn
  • Spanish: encender — cause to begin to burn
  • Spanish: alumbrar — cause to begin to burn
  • Swedish: sätta eld på — cause to begin to burn
  • Swedish: antända — cause to begin to burn
  • Swedish: sätta i brand — cause to begin to burn
  • Swedish: sätta fyr på — cause to begin to burn
  • Tamil: கொளுத்து (koḷuttu) — cause to begin to burn
  • Telugu: తగులబెట్టు (tagulabeṭṭu) — cause to begin to burn
  • Telugu: మంటబెట్టు (maṇṭabeṭṭu) — cause to begin to burn
  • Thai: จุด (jùt) — cause to begin to burn
  • Thai: จุดไฟ — cause to begin to burn
  • Tongan: tutu — cause to begin to burn
  • Turkish: yakmak — cause to begin to burn
  • Ukrainian: підпа́лювати (pidpáljuvaty) — cause to begin to burn
  • Ukrainian: підпали́ти (pidpalýty) — cause to begin to burn
  • Vietnamese: đốt — cause to begin to burn
  • Vietnamese: phóng hoả — cause to begin to burn
  • Azerbaijani: coşdurmaq — arouse passionate feelings in
  • Azerbaijani: qızışdırmaq — arouse passionate feelings in
  • Finnish: sytyttää — arouse passionate feelings in
  • German: entflammen — arouse passionate feelings in
  • Hebrew: הצית (hitsít) — arouse passionate feelings in
  • Hungarian: lángra gyújt — arouse passionate feelings in
  • Hungarian: lángra lobbant — arouse passionate feelings in
  • Lithuanian: sujaudinti — arouse passionate feelings in
  • Portuguese: acalentar — arouse passionate feelings in
  • Russian: разже́чь (razžéčʹ) — arouse passionate feelings in
  • Spanish: encender — arouse passionate feelings in
  • Spanish: calentar — arouse passionate feelings in
  • Swedish: sätta i brand — arouse passionate feelings in