flare
verb/fleə(r)/
/fler/
Verb Forms
Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they flare | /fleə(r)/ /fler/ |
| he / she / it flares | /fleəz/ /flerz/ |
| past simple flared | /fleəd/ /flerd/ |
| past participle flared | /fleəd/ /flerd/ |
| -ing form flaring | /ˈfleərɪŋ/ /ˈflerɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive] to burn brightly, but usually for only a short time or not steadily
- The match flared and went out.
- The fire flared into life.
- (figurative) Colour flared in her cheeks.
- His dark eyes flared angrily.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- suddenly
- briefly
- brightly
- …
- flare into life
Definitions on the go
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- [intransitive] flare (up) (especially of anger and violence) to suddenly start or become much stronger synonym erupt
- Violence flared when the police moved in.
- Tempers flared towards the end of the meeting.
- Anger suddenly flared in his eyes.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- suddenly
- briefly
- brightly
- …
- flare into life
- [transitive, intransitive] (+ speech) to say something in an angry and aggressive way
- ‘You should have told me!’ she flared at him.
- [intransitive] (of clothes) to become wider towards the bottom
- The sleeves are tight to the elbow, then flare out.
- [transitive, intransitive] flare (something) if a person or an animal flares their nostrils (= the openings at the end of the nose), or if their nostrils flare, they become wider, especially as a sign of anger
- The horse backed away, its nostrils flaring with fear.
Word Originmid 16th cent. (in the sense ‘spread out one's hair’): of unknown origin. Current senses date from the 17th cent.
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flare