flammable
Definitions
Easily set on fire; capable of burning quickly.
易燃的，可燃的。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedflamm (fire) + -able (able to) = 'able to catch fire.' This word was deliberately created from the older inflammable: because inflammable's in- was misread as 'not,' safety writers dropped the prefix so flammable could never be mistaken for 'won't burn.'
Root flamm still carries 7 more wordsWhy It Means This
Flammable exists because of a life-or-death misunderstanding. The proper Latin-derived adjective is inflammable (in- 'into' + flammable), but its prefix looks like the negative in-, so people read it as 'fireproof' — disastrous on a tanker or a mattress label. Safety authorities coined flammable to be impossible to misread. The twist: flammable and inflammable mean the same thing, and the true opposite is non-flammable.
Usage Guide
- flammable = inflammable — both mean 'easily burns.' Modern safety labels prefer flammable because it can't be misread.
- The opposite is non-flammable, not 'inflammable.'
- In everyday and technical writing today, choose flammable for warnings; inflammable survives mostly in older or literary text.
Example Sentences
- 1.
Keep flammable liquids away from the stove.
- 2.
The label warns that the spray is highly flammable.
- 3.
Cotton is far more flammable than wool.
Easily Confused
flammable vs inflammable vs non-flammable — flammable and inflammable are SYNONYMS (both 'burns easily'); the in- is not a negative. The only word meaning 'will not burn' is non-flammable. This is the single most dangerous false-friend in English.
Synonym Comparison
- flammable / inflammable — easily catches fire (identical meaning)
- combustible — capable of burning, often used technically for solids/fuels
- non-flammable — will not catch fire
- fireproof / fire-resistant — built to withstand fire
- explosive — burns so fast it bursts; a step beyond flammable