inflate
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inflate
- /ɪnˈfleɪt/ Canada, US, UK
- /ɪnˈflæɪt/ Australia
- /ənˈflæɪt/ New Zealand
Rhymes with -eɪt
Where it comes from
From Latin īnflātus, perfect passive participle of īnflō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Doublet of inblow.
verb inflates · inflating · inflated
- To enlarge an object by pushing air (or a gas) into it; to raise or expand abnormally You inflate a balloon by blowing air into it.
- To enlarge by filling with air (or a gas). The balloon will inflate if you blow into it.
- To swell; to puff up. to inflate somebody with pride or vanity
- To decompress (data) that was previously deflated.
- To represent something as being more important, better, or worse than it actually is; to exaggerate. Israel routinely claims that the Gaza Ministry of Health, which is run by Hamas, has a tendency to inflate the number of Palestinian casualties in the Gaza Strip.
Opposite: deflate
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: billow, blow up, expand, amplify, balloon, swell, blow, breathe, fill, boost, grow, cuff, increase, overemphasize, overstate, exaggerate
verb
Opposite: deflate
Translations
Every language
verb (transitive) to enlarge the volume occupied by an object
| Español | inflar, hinchar, implar |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 膨らませる fukuramaseru |
| 中文 | 充氣 /充气 chōngqì |
| Português | inchar, inflar |
| Français | gonfler, enfler |
| Deutsch | aufblasen, aufpumpen, aufblähen |
| Italiano | enfiare, gonfiare |
| Ελληνικά | φουσκώνω fouskóno |
| Română | umfla |
| Русский | надува́ть naduvátʹ, наду́ть nadútʹ, наполня́ть napolnjátʹ, напо́лнить napólnitʹ, нака́чивать nakáčivatʹ, накача́ть nakačátʹ |
| العربية | نَفَخَ nafaḵa |
verb (transitive) to enlarge by filling with gas
| हिन्दी | फुलाना phulānā |
|---|---|
| Português | encher |
| Français | gonfler |
| Deutsch | aufblasen |
| العربية | نَفَخَ nafaḵa |
verb (intransitive) to become enlarged by being filled with gas
| 한국어 | 부풀리다 bupullida |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 膨らむ fukuramu |
| 中文 | 膨脹 /膨胀 péngzhàng |
| Français | se gonfler, gonfler |
| Ελληνικά | φουσκώνω fouskóno |
| Русский | надува́ться naduvátʹsja, наду́ться nadútʹsja, наполня́ться napolnjátʹsja, напо́лниться napólnitʹsja, нака́чиваться nakáčivatʹsja, накача́ться nakačátʹsja |
verb to decompress data
| Español | descomprimir, desempaquetar |
|---|
Talk about this word "inflate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/inflate. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. inflate. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/inflate "inflate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/inflate.Cite this
@misc{inflate_2026,
title = {inflate},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/inflate},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
