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inflate
[ in-fleyt ]
verb (used with object)
- to distend; swell or puff out; dilate:
The king cobra inflates its hood.
Antonyms: deflate
- to cause to expand or distend with air or gas:
to inflate a balloon.
- to puff up with pride, satisfaction, etc.
- to elate.
- Economics. to expand (money, prices, an economy, etc.) unduly in amount, value, or size; affect with inflation.
verb (used without object)
- to become inflated.
- to increase, especially suddenly and substantially:
The $10 subscription has inflated to $25.
inflate
/ ɪnˈfleɪt /
verb
- to expand or cause to expand by filling with gas or air
she needed to inflate the tyres
- tr to cause to increase excessively; puff up; swell
to inflate one's opinion of oneself
- tr to cause inflation of (prices, money, etc)
- tr to raise in spirits; elate
- intr to undergo economic inflation
Derived Forms
- inˈflatedly, adverb
- inˈflater, noun
- inˈflatedness, noun
Other Words From
- in·flater in·flator noun
- over·in·flate verb (used with object) overinflated overinflating
- rein·flate verb reinflated reinflating
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of inflate1
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
We can place limits on stock buybacks and bailouts so companies are forced to be responsible with their money instead of using it to inflate their share prices or line the pockets of executives—many of whom are already overpaid.
Popular trades become crowded trades, inflating asset bubbles.
It’s also the product of a strategy of endorsing candidates who are already in a good position to win — perhaps with the explicit goal of inflating his top-line win rate, and therefore his reputation.
The issue this month is that many teachers were laid off earlier than usual this summer, which may have artificially inflated July’s jobs numbers.
Then the blob can inflate into a finished house in 45 minutes.
Does it matter whether Taylor Swift wants me to inflate my Internet notoriety by doing a dumb thing where I lip sync to her music?
Otherwise, there's a tendency for people with small businesses to inflate the expenses of the business to match the income.
Apropos inflation, the government could try to inflate its way out of this crisis, covering the deficit by printing money.
But could this invoking of the words of the Godfather of Soul be a belated effort to inflate these flat polling numbers?
You have to add a lot of minor traffic violators and visa overstayers to inflate that figure to 94 percent.
Only their bubbs were intact, but there was nothing with which to inflate them.
Away with these words which inflate vanity and wound charity.
His care was not so much to inflate the rent-roll as to get in all the ready-money he could.
They could flatten and drift about in the water, or they could inflate and rise in the air.
By steady practice at his little pipe, he in about a year got so that he could inflate five whole inches.
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