Meaning & use
inflate
Last updated
To fill something with air or gas so that it expands, or to increase something beyond its normal size or value.
See it in a sentence
We used a pump to inflate the tires before the long road trip.
Rising demand can inflate housing prices well beyond their real value.
A note on using this word
Beyond literal inflation of objects, 'inflate' is often used figuratively for exaggerating numbers, prices, or importance.
Words with a similar meaning
expandpump up
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
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