Conflagration

A large, destructive fire that destroys a great deal of property and often spreads rapidly.

noun

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Imagine This

Imagine a dry, windy day in a town where sparks leap from roof to roof. Flames race across the skyline, consuming houses and trees as firefighters sprint toward the blaze.

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Sounds Like

kon-fluh-GRAY-shuhn

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Looks Like

Looks like conflagrate, the verb form meaning to set on fire; shares the root flagra- 'to burn'.

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Remember This

Conflagration emphasizes breadth and scale—a fire that consumes a wide area. Etymology traces to Latin conflagrare 'to burn up' (con- 'together' + flagrare 'to burn').

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Other Forms

conflagrateverb

conflagratoryadjective

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Connect With

blaze, inferno, firestorm, wildfire, destruction

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Note

Use for very large fires that spread across areas or communities. Do not use for small fires; distinguish from conflagrate (the verb to set on fire).

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Study Deeper

Examples

The conflagration swept through the village, leaving few buildings standing.
Firefighters battled the conflagration for hours before finally containing it.

Synonyms

infernoblazefirestormwildfire

Antonyms

extinguishmentextinctionquenching

Etymology

From Latin conflagrare 'to burn up', formed from con- 'together' + flagrare 'to burn'.

Mnemonic

Mnemonic: CON + FLAG + RATION. Picture many flames with small flags gathered together marching into town—the flames come together to form a massive blaze.

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Dormant

adjective

Not actively growing or functioning; asleep or temporarily inactive.

Phenomenon

noun

A fact or event that can be observed, especially one that is remarkable or requires explanation.

Persistent

adjective

Continuing firmly despite obstacles; lasting for a long time; not giving up.

Similar Words

Related words and words with the same part of speech.

Abasement

noun

The act or instance of humiliating or degrading someone; the state of being lowered in dignity or status.

Absurdity

noun

The quality or state of being wildly unreasonable, illogical, or ridiculous; something that is completely contrary to reason or common sense.

Accent

noun

A distinctive way of pronouncing words; the act of emphasizing a syllable or word (as a verb, to accent means to emphasize).

Accolade

noun

An honor; a public expression of praise or an award.

Acrimony

noun

Bitterness of speech or manner; ill feeling

Acronym

noun

A word formed from the initial letters of a phrase, pronounced as a single word and used as a shorthand for the full name (for example, NASA or radar).

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