inflate
in·flate
verb \in-ˈflāt\in·flat·edin·flat·ing
Definition of INFLATE
transitive verb
1
: to swell or distend with air or gas
2
: to puff up : elate <inflate one's ego>
3
: to expand or increase abnormally or imprudently
intransitive verb
: to become inflated
— in·fla·tor or in·flat·er \-ˈflā-tər\ noun
Examples of INFLATE
- We used a pump to inflate the raft.
- Economists warn that rapid economic growth could inflate prices.
- Increased competition has inflated salaries among professional athletes.
- Rapid economic growth may cause prices to inflate.
Origin of INFLATE
Middle English, from Latin inflatus, past participle of inflare, from in- + flare to blow — more at blow
First Known Use: 15th century
Rhymes with INFLATE
abate, ablate, adnate, aerate, age-mate, agnate, airdate, airfreight, alate, arête, await, backdate, baldpate, bandmate, baseplate, bedmate, bedplate, berate, birthrate, bistate, bite plate, blank slate, blind date, blue plate, bookplate, breastplate, casemate, castrate, caudate, cell plate, cerate, cheapskate, checkmate, chelate, chordate, citrate, classmate, clavate, cognate, collate, comate, conflate, connate, Cook Strait, cordate, create, cremate, crenate, curate, cut-rate, deadweight, death rate, debate, deflate, delate, dentate, derate, dictate, dilate, disrate, donate, doorplate, downstate, drawplate, elate, end plate, equate, estate, faceplate, falcate, fellate, filtrate, first-rate, fishplate, fixate, flatmate, floodgate, fluxgate, flyweight, folate, formate, frustrate, gelate, gestate, ground state, gyrate, hamate, hastate, headgate, Hell Gate, helpmate, home plate, hot plate, housemate, hydrate, ice-skate, ingrate, inmate, innate, instate, irate, jailbait, Kuwait, lactate, lapse rate, legate, liftgate, ligate, lightweight, liquate, lobate, locate, lunate, lustrate, lych-gate, lyrate, magnate, makebate, makeweight, mandate, messmate, migrate, misstate, mutate, nameplate, narrate, negate, Newgate, nitrate, notate, nutate, oblate, of late, orate, ornate, ovate, palmate, palpate, peltate, phonate, pinnate, placate, playdate, playmate, plicate, portrait, postdate, predate, prime rate, probate, prolate, pronate, prorate, prostate, prostrate, punctate, pupate, quadrate, rain date, ramate, rebate, red-bait, relate, restate, roommate, rostrate, rotate, saccate, schoolmate, seatmate, sedate, sensate, septate, serrate, shipmate, short weight, slave state, soleplate, soul mate, spectate, spicate, squamate, stagnate, stalemate, stellate, striate, sublate, substrate, sulcate, summate, tailgate, teammate, Tebet, tenth-rate, ternate, terneplate, testate, third-rate, tinplate, to date, toeplate, tollgate, tractate, translate, tristate, truncate, unweight, update, uprate, upstate, V-8, vacate, vallate, valvate, vibrate, virgate, vulgate, whitebait, workmate
in·flate
verb \in-ˈflāt\ (Medical Dictionary)in·flat·edin·flat·ing
Medical Definition of INFLATE
transitive verb
: to swell or distend with air or gas <inflate the lungs>
intransitive verb
: to become inflated
—in·fla·tion \in-ˈflā-shən\ noun
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