What does "flare" mean?
A sudden bright light.
Flare
/flɛə̯/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A sudden bright light.
- Grammar: flare is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: flash, addition, adjunct, aflicker.
- Useful contrasts: calm, calm expression, contract.
- Usage evidence: We thought Mary and Tom were lost at sea but then we saw the distress flare.
How to use "flare"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "flare" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "flare" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "flare" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "flare" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "flare" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "flash" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "flare", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A sudden bright light.
- 2 (baseball) a fly ball hit a short distance into the outfield wordnet
- 3 A source of brightly burning light or intense heat.
"solar flare"
- 4 a short forward pass to a back who is running toward the sidelines wordnet
- 5 A source of brightly burning light or intense heat.; A type of pyrotechnic that produces a brilliant light without an explosion, used to attract attention in an emergency, to illuminate an area, or as a decoy.
"Flares were used to steer the traffic away from the accident."
Show 20 more definitions
- 6 a device that produces a bright light for warning or illumination or identification wordnet
- 7 A source of brightly burning light or intense heat.; A flame produced by a burn-off of waste gas (flare gas) from a flare tower (or flare stack), typically at an oil refinery.
"Flare stacks are used in gas plants, petroleum refineries, and petrochemical plants to combust surplus hydrocarbons to produce combustion products that are neither toxic nor combustible. Flares frequently incorporate a liquid-gas separator at the base of the stack and steam assisted burner nozzles at the top of the stack to aid complete combustion."
- 8 a burst of light used to communicate or illuminate wordnet
- 9 A sudden eruption or outbreak; a flare-up. figuratively
"Antiinflammatory corticosteroid creams and ointments are prescribed for inflamed or lichenified areas. These creams are more effective when applied to damp skin. The lowest potency that controls signs should be used, and topical steroids are usually reserved for treatment of episodic flares."
- 10 a sudden outburst of emotion wordnet
- 11 A widening of an object with an otherwise roughly constant width.
"During assembly of a flare tube fitting, a flare nut is used to secure the flared tubing’s tapered end to the also tapered fitting, producing a pressure-resistant, leak-tight seal."
- 12 an unwanted reflection in an optical system (or the fogging of an image that is caused by such a reflection) wordnet
- 13 A widening of an object with an otherwise roughly constant width.; The increase in width of most ship hulls with increasing height above the waterline.
- 14 a sudden eruption of intense high-energy radiation from the sun's surface; associated with sunspots and radio interference wordnet
- 15 Bell-bottom trousers. in-plural
"In the early 1970's, a giddy epoch in men's fashion, when denim flares and platform oxfords were the outer edge of style, Giorgio Armani made a suit that stretched. Imbued with spandex, the elastic fiber that gives a fabric extra bounce, the suit was one of the first in a long line of innovations that would eventually make Armani as familiar a brand as Kleenex."
- 16 a sudden burst of flame wordnet
- 17 The transition from downward flight to level flight just before landing.
"The captain executed the flare perfectly, and we lightly touched down."
- 18 a shape that spreads outward wordnet
- 19 A low fly ball that is hit in the region between the infielders and the outfielders.
"Jones hits a little flare to left that falls for a single."
- 20 a sudden recurrence or worsening of symptoms wordnet
- 21 A route run by the running back, releasing toward the sideline and then slightly arcing upfield looking for a short pass.
- 22 reddening of the skin spreading outward from a focus of infection or irritation wordnet
- 23 Ellipsis of lens flare. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
"The defect in question is the flare which frequently arises from the use of compound lenses when there is a very bright object in front, resulting in a ghost-like image of that object being thrown upon the plate. If the image of the object thus duplicated be in focus we designate it a "ghost;" if out of focus we call it "flare.""
- 24 An inflammation such as of tendons (tendonitis) or joints (osteoarthritis).
- 25 A breakdance move of someone helicoptering his torso on alternating arms.
Verb
- 1 To cause to burn; in particular, to burn off excess gas. transitive
"Qatar joined the World Bank's Global Gas Flaring Reduction programme in early 2008, indicating its commitment to reducing the process of flaring the gas found with oil deposits."
- 2 become flared and widen, usually at one end wordnet
- 3 To cause inflammation; to inflame. transitive
"Trying to draw a breath flared the pressure on his chest into searing agony."
- 4 erupt or intensify suddenly wordnet
- 5 To open outward in shape. ambitransitive
"The cat flared its nostrils while sniffing at the air. (transitive)"
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 burn brightly wordnet
- 7 To (operate an aircraft to) transition from downward flight to level flight just before landing. ambitransitive
"After a brief refueling stop in Fairbanks, Billy continued on to the cabin. As he flared the Huey [a helicopter] to land, he could see Moses running out of the cabin to greet him"
- 8 shine with a sudden light wordnet
- 9 To blaze brightly. intransitive
"The blast furnace flared in the night."
- 10 To shine out with a sudden and unsteady light; to emit a dazzling or painfully bright light. intransitive
"The candle flared in a sudden draught."
- 11 To shine out with gaudy colours; to be offensively bright or showy. figuratively, intransitive
"[B]y a robe of white, the which ſhe weares, / With ribones pendant flaring bout her head, / I ſhalbe ſure to know her, […]"
- 12 To suddenly happen or intensify. figuratively, intransitive
"The genius of the poet [John Keats] flares up, dies out, and flares again, as if there were a dearth of fuel to feed it; and by this fault, more than any other, he is removed out of the class of great poets, and occupies but the second rank."
- 13 To suddenly erupt in anger. figuratively, intransitive
"[H]e flared up very much when I told him I could not give him the schedule."
- 14 To be exposed to too much light. intransitive, obsolete
"[…] I [Satan] cannot ſtay / Flaring in ſun-ſhine all the day: / For, entre nous, we helliſh ſprites, / Love more the freſco of the nights; […]"
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"We thought Mary and Tom were lost at sea but then we saw the distress flare."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "flare"?
Common synonyms include: flash, addition, adjunct, aflicker, aggrandizement, aid to navigation.
How do you use "flare" in a sentence?
We thought Mary and Tom were lost at sea but then we saw the distress flare.
How do you pronounce "flare"?
Pronounced /flɛə̯/.
Etymology
Origin unknown, first recorded in the mid 16th century, probably related to Latin flagrō (“I burn”). Norwegian flara (“to blaze; to flaunt in gaudy attire”) has a similar meaning, but the English word predates it. Possibly related to Middle High German vlederen (“to flutter”), represented by modern German flattern. The noun is derived from the verb.