flame

Less common meanings

6. 6
   attack onlineverbtransitive or intransitive

   To post a destructively critical or abusive message attacking someone, typically online.

   Commenters flamed the author mercilessly after the controversial post.

   Trolls will flame anyone who disagrees with them.

   UsageOften passive: someone gets flamed for what they posted.

   Similarattack, slam, savage, blast, roast

   Oppositepraise

   Note

   The verb was at home on Usenet early: Joe Ziegler's 1983 post to net.motss already speaks of "my flaming." The passive is common too: Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections (2001) has a man who "got flamed for his lies." Flaming is the activity, and the noun is the single message. Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

   • Joe Ziegler used "my flaming" in a 1983 post to the Usenet newsgroup net.motss. groups.google.com
   • Jonathan Franzen wrote The Corrections, whose first edition was published in 2001. catalog.freelibrary.org
   • The Corrections contains the quoted wording in narration about a male character. en.wiktionary.org
7. 7
   insulting postnoundatedcountable

   An aggressively insulting criticism or remark, especially one posted online.

   Her review provoked a vicious flame from a loyal fan.

   Flames are, unfortunately, a fact of USENET life. It's a rare USENET regular who hasn't been shaken to the foundations with anger at something some jerk has posted.

   1995, Paul McFedries, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Usenet Newsgroups

   Similarinsult, tirade, rant, attack, diatribe

   Note

   In 1995 Paul McFedries could call flames "a fact of USENET life," and the word still carries the feel of the newsgroups. It names the message rather than the anger: one hostile post is a flame, and a run of them is flames. Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

   • In 1995, Paul McFedries described flames as "a fact of USENET life" in The Complete Idiot's Guide to USENET Newsgroups. en.wiktionary.org
8. 8
   burst out (feeling)verbintransitive

   To burst out suddenly, like fire, in violent passion or kindled zeal.

   He felt jealousy flame inside him as he watched them dance together.

   Her indignation flamed at the unfair accusation.

   UsageUsually flame with a feeling, or the feeling flames up: he flamed with indignation.

   Similarflare, blaze, erupt, burn

   Oppositesubside, cool

   Note

   Here the fire is figurative, and the usual construction is flame with: Macaulay writes "He flamed with indignation." Either the person or the feeling can be the subject (her indignation flamed). In both cases the verb stresses an outbreak rather than a slow burn. That is how it differs from the noun of lasting passion. Source

   Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 1 fact

   • Macaulay wrote the quoted words “He flamed with indignation.” gutenberg.org
9. 9
   fiery shadenouncountable or uncountable

   A brilliant reddish orange-gold color resembling that of fire.

   The autumn leaves blazed in shades of flame and gold.

   She chose flame for the front door, a warm color between red and orange.

   Note

   Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897) lists flame beside purple, pink, green and violet among the colors of a sunset sky. As a color word it often sits in lists like this one, or joins another color in compounds such as flame red.

10. 10
    nounobsoletecountable

    A cultivated variety of carnation grown as a garden flower.

    Note

    Gardeners once used it as a class name for one pattern of bloom. In 1717 Richard Bradley sorts carnations into picketees, painted ladies, beazarts, flakes and flames, the flames having a red ground always striped with black or very dark color. Peter Forbes's Poems (1812) still lists flecks, flames, bussards and picketees in Scots verse.

11. 11
    noun

    The contrasting light and dark figure in wood prized for stringed instrument making, also called the curl.