adverb
-
on fire; ablaze
-
intensely interested or passionate
he was afire with enthusiasm for the new plan
Etymology
Origin of afire
Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; see origin at a- 1, fire
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Further back, an immense 1859 storm known as the Carrington Event set afire recording tape at telegraph stations.
From Salon • Apr. 16, 2025
Then, there is allrounder Glenn Maxwell, who set the tournament afire with two stunning knocks.
From Washington Times • Nov. 13, 2023
These have been led mostly by youths who chant and light afire the piles of trash clogging the city because of strikes by garbage workers.
From New York Times • Mar. 23, 2023
When the vinyl chloride that spilled out as a result of the derailment was set afire, dioxin likely contaminated the people, soil and homes of the town for generations to come.
From Washington Post • Mar. 1, 2023
What was this thing that set his brains afire and grabbed at his throat with iron fingers?
From "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
