Adjacent Words

Inflate definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

INFLA'TE, v.t. [L. inflatus, from inflo; in and flo, to blow.]
1. To swell or distend by injecting air; as, to inflate a bladder; to inflate the lungs.
2. To fill with the breath; to blow in.
3. To swell; to puff up; to elate; as, to inflate one with pride or vanity.
INFLA'TE

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: exaggerate or make bigger; "The charges were inflated" [syn: inflate, blow up, expand, amplify]
2: fill with gas or air; "inflate a balloons" [syn: inflate, blow up] [ant: deflate]
3: cause prices to rise by increasing the available currency or credit; "The war inflated the economy" [ant: deflate]
4: increase the amount or availability of, creating a rise in value; "inflate the currency" [ant: deflate]
5: become inflated; "The sails ballooned" [syn: balloon, inflate, billow]

Merriam Webster's

verb (inflated; inflating) Etymology: Middle English, from Latin inflatus, past participle of inflare, from in- + flare to blow — more at blow Date: 15th century transitive verb 1. to swell or distend with air or gas <inflate a tire> 2. to puff up ; elate <inflate one's ego> 3. to expand or increase abnormally or imprudently intransitive verb to become inflated Synonyms: see expand • inflator or inflater noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. 1 distend (a balloon etc.) with air. 2 (usu. foll. by with; usu. in passive) puff up (a person with pride etc.). 3 a (often absol.) bring about inflation (of the currency). b raise (prices) artificially. 4 (as inflated adj.) (esp. of language, sentiments, etc.) bombastic. Derivatives: inflatedly adv. inflatedness n. inflater n. inflator n. Etymology: L inflare inflat- (as IN-(2), flare blow)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Inflate In*flate", v. i. To expand; to fill; to distend.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Inflate In*flate", p. a. [L. inflatus, p. p. of inflare to inflate; pref. in- in + flare to blow. See Blow to puff wind.] Blown in; inflated. --Chaucer.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Inflate In*flate", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Inflated; p. pr. & vb. n. Inflating.] 1. To swell or distend with air or gas; to dilate; to expand; to enlarge; as, to inflate a bladder; to inflate the lungs. When passion's tumults in the bosom rise, Inflate the features, and enrage the eyes. --J. Scott of Amwell. 2. Fig.: To swell; to puff up; to elate; as, to inflate one with pride or vanity. Inflate themselves with some insane delight. --Tennyson. 3. To cause to become unduly expanded or increased; as, to inflate the currency.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(inflates, inflating, inflated) 1. If you inflate something such as a balloon or tyre, or if it inflates, it becomes bigger as it is filled with air or a gas. Stuart jumped into the sea and inflated the liferaft... Don's lifejacket had failed to inflate. VERB: V n, V 2. If you say that someone inflates the price of something, or that the price inflates, you mean that the price increases. The promotion of a big release can inflate a film's final cost... Clothing prices have not inflated as much as automobiles. = increase VERB: V n, V • inflated They had to buy everything at inflated prices at the ranch store. ADJ 3. If someone inflates the amount or effect of something, they say it is bigger, better, or more important than it really is, usually so that they can profit from it. They inflated clients' medical treatment to defraud insurance companies... VERB: V n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Swell (by blowing), distend, expand, bloat, blow up. 2. Puff up, make conceited. 3. Enlarge, increase.

Moby Thesaurus

Barnumize, add to, aggrandize, amplify, augment, balloon, bloat, blow, blow up, bombast, boost, broaden, build, build up, bulk, bulk out, crescendo, develop, dilate, distend, enlarge, exaggerate, exalt, expand, extend, fatten, fill out, hike, hike up, huff, increase, jack up, jump up, lay it on, lengthen, magnify, maximize, overdevelop, overdistend, overdraw, overexpand, overextend, overstrain, overstretch, parlay, pile it on, pontificate, puff, puff up, pump, pump up, put up, pyramid, raise, rarefy, strain, stretch, sufflate, swell, talk big, talk highfalutin, thicken, up, vapor, widen