flare-up

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A sudden return or worsening of a problem, illness or conflict.

   Grammar: Countable: a flare-up, several flare-ups.

   Patterns

   • a flare-up of something
   • a flare-up in something

   A flare-up of her arthritis kept her indoors.

   The old border dispute saw another flare-up.

   Doctors warned of possible flare-ups in winter.

2. 2nouncountableinformal

   A short, sudden burst of anger or violence.

   Grammar: Often used with temper: a flare-up of temper.

   Patterns

   • a flare-up between people

   There was a brief flare-up between the two drivers.

   His flare-up at the meeting surprised everyone.

   The flare-up ended as quickly as it started.

3. 3nouncountable

   A sudden bright burst of flame or light.

   Grammar: Literal use for fire or light.

   Patterns

   • a flare-up of flames

   A flare-up in the grill singed the burgers.

   The campfire made a quick flare-up.

   A flare-up of light lit the sky.

Word forms

Common combinations

a flare-up of symptoms

Stress can cause a flare-up of symptoms.

sudden flare-up

A sudden flare-up halted the talks.

flare-up of violence

A flare-up of violence closed the road.

prevent flare-ups

Daily creams help prevent flare-ups.

asthma flare-up

Pollen caused an asthma flare-up.

Synonyms and how they differ

outbreak

Outbreak suggests a larger sudden start of disease or conflict, while flare-up implies a return.

outburst

Outburst usually describes a burst of emotion from a person.

eruption

Eruption is more dramatic and violent, as with a volcano.

relapse

Relapse means falling back into illness after improvement, a narrower medical idea.

Opposites

Word family

flare up verb

to suddenly become worse or violent

flare noun

a bright signal light

flaring adjective

burning brightly or widening

Commonly confused: flare-up or flair?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “flare-up”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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