inflammatory
adjective
in·flam·ma·to·ry
in-ˈfla-mə-ˌtȯr-ē 
1
: tending to excite anger, disorder, or tumult
inflammatory remarks
argued that the evidence was only inflammatory and not probative of guilt
2
: tending to inflame or excite the senses
3
: accompanied by or tending to cause inflammation
Examples of inflammatory in a Sentence
She had an acute inflammatory reaction to the drug.
He incited the mob with an inflammatory speech.
Recent Examples on the Web
And some people can be fit and have liver problems or fit and have sort of inflammatory bowel problems.
—
David Oliver, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
The signs range from friendly and funny to inflammatory.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Amid mounting controversy following an inflammatory rant Zarin posted against Bad Bunny's Super Bowl LX halftime show, The Golden Life production company Blink49 Studios issued a statement announcing Zarin's removal from the cast on Tuesday.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Feb. 2026
This includes budesonide, a steroid used in treating the inflammatory bowel disease Crohn's disease, and Medrol (methylprednisolone), which treats several inflammatory conditions.
—Ross Phan, Verywell Health, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inflammatory
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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David Oliver, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
The signs range from friendly and funny to inflammatory.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Amid mounting controversy following an inflammatory rant Zarin posted against Bad Bunny's Super Bowl LX halftime show, The Golden Life production company Blink49 Studios issued a statement announcing Zarin's removal from the cast on Tuesday.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Feb. 2026
This includes budesonide, a steroid used in treating the inflammatory bowel disease Crohn's disease, and Medrol (methylprednisolone), which treats several inflammatory conditions.
—Ross Phan, Verywell Health, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inflammatory
Cite this Entry
“Inflammatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inflammatory. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
inflammatory
adjective
in·flam·ma·to·ry
in-ˈflam-ə-ˌtōr-ē
-ˌtȯr-
1
: stirring up anger, disorder, or rebellion
inflammatory speeches
2
: causing or accompanied by inflammation
inflammatory diseases
Medical Definition
inflammatory
adjective
in·flam·ma·to·ry
in-ˈflam-ə-ˌtōr-ē, -ˌtȯr-
: accompanied by or tending to cause inflammation
inflammatory diseases
Legal Definition
inflammatory
noun
in·flam·ma·to·ry
in-ˈfla-mə-ˌtōr-ē
: tending to cause anger, animosity, or indignation
the use of an alias by a defendant is…almost always inflammatory—F. D. Doucette
F. D. DoucetteNote: Evidence, and especially photographic evidence, may be deemed inadmissible if its inflammatory nature seriously outweighs its probative value or relevance. The mere fact that evidence is graphic or gruesome, however, is not enough to render it inadmissible.
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