Meaning & use
fuel
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
A substance, such as coal, gas or wood, that is burned or used up to produce heat or power.
Grammar: Mostly uncountable: we ran out of fuel; countable when types are meant: fossil fuels.
Patterns
- run out of fuel
- fuel for something
The truck stopped because it ran out of fuel.
Wood remains the main fuel for cooking in many villages.
Scientists are testing cleaner fuels for airplanes.
verbtransitive
To put fuel into a vehicle, machine or heater, or to supply it with power.
Grammar: Takes an object: fuel the car, fuel the stove.
Patterns
- fuel something with something
- fuel up
The pilot fueled the plane before takeoff.
Power stations are fueled by natural gas.
We stopped to fuel the car at a roadside station.
verbtransitivefigurative
To make a feeling, argument or situation stronger or more intense.
Grammar: Takes an object such as rumors, fears or debate: the report fueled speculation.
Patterns
- fuel speculation
- fuel the fire
- fuel something with something
The leaked memo fueled speculation about layoffs.
Rising prices fueled public anger.
Her success fueled his determination to improve.
Word forms
| plural | fuels |
|---|---|
| third person singular | fuels |
| past tense | fueled (British: fuelled) |
| past participle | fueled (British: fuelled) |
| -ing form | fueling (British: fuelling) |
Common combinations
- fossil fuel
- Burning fossil fuel adds carbon dioxide to the air.
- run out of fuel
- The boat ran out of fuel near the harbor.
- fuel efficiency
- A small car usually has better fuel efficiency.
- fuel speculation
- The delay only fueled speculation.
- fuel the fire
- Angry posts fueled the fire of the debate.
Synonyms and how they differ
- gas
- Gas is the American casual word for gasoline specifically, while fuel covers all energy sources.
- propellant
- Propellant is a technical word for rocket or spray fuel, so it is far narrower than fuel.
- fan
- Fan, as a verb for flames or feelings, suggests stirring them up, while fuel suggests supplying their source.
- stoke
- Stoke means to keep a fire or strong feeling burning by adding to it, which is a more vivid word than fuel.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: fuel or fool?
fuel vs fool
Fool means to trick someone or a silly person, and its vowel sound differs from the two-syllable fuel.
Practice
The rumor that the factory would close only ___ the workers' fear.
Choose one answer.
Fueled means increased the intensity of the fear. Fooled and filled change the meaning, and fuelled by is not a complete verb form here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fuel”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.