I ignite the stove.
Source: tatoeba (6759701)
Ignite
/ɪɡˈnaɪt/
Synonyms for "ignite" (137 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (28)
Verb(16 words)
lightaflarealightarousebrandenburncatalyzingcatch firecombustconflagratedeflagratedetonatedetonatesemotionalizesenergize discussionenkindled
Strong matches (41)
Related words (68)
illuminateinflamekindlelightlight uppiquerekindlerelightrelumeset fire toset on firespunk upstir the firestokestoke the firestrikestrike a lighttake firetorchtouch
Show 1 more word
touch off
Adjective(2 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: light, aflare, alight, arouse, awake.
- Sentence evidence is available for ignite, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, derived_reverse, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "ignite".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "ignite"
Keep "ignite" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "ignite" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "ignite", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "ignite" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
19 entriesShowing 16 of 19 words.
More specific
9 entriesCollocations
6 entriesignite a debateignite a movementignite curiosityignite interestignite passionignite the spark
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
3 entriesAntonyms
1 entriessimilar
2 entriesTranslations
67 translations across 40 languages.
Albanian
1 entries- ndez verb (to set fire to, to light)
Ancient Greek
1 entries- αἴθω verb (to set fire to, to light)
Armenian
2 entries- կրակ տալ verb (to set fire to, to light)
- վառել verb (to set fire to, to light)
Basque
1 entries- sutu verb (to set fire to, to light)
Bulgarian
2 entries- запалвам verb (to set fire to, to light)
- паля verb (to set fire to, to light)
Catalan
1 entries- encendre verb (to set fire to, to light)
Chinese Mandarin
2 entries- 點火 /点火 verb (to set fire to, to light)
- 點燃 /点燃 verb (to set fire to, to light)
Czech
1 entries- vznítit verb (to set fire to, to light)
Dutch
3 entries- aansteken verb (to set fire to, to light)
- ontbranden verb (to set fire to, to light)
- ontsteken verb (to set fire to, to light)
Esperanto
2 entries- ekbruligi verb (to set fire to, to light)
- fajrigi verb (to set fire to, to light)
Finnish
1 entries- sytyttää verb (to set fire to, to light)
French
2 entries- allumer verb (to set fire to, to light)
- mettre le feu verb (to set fire to, to light)
German
2 entries- anzünden verb (to set fire to, to light)
- zünden verb (to set fire to, to light)
Gheg Albanian
1 entries- nez verb (to set fire to, to light)
Greek
2 entries- ανάβω verb (to set fire to, to light)
- πυρπολώ verb (to set fire to, to light)
Hebrew
3 entries- הבעיר verb (to set fire to, to light)
- הדליק verb (to set fire to, to light)
- הצית verb (to set fire to, to light)
Hittite
1 entries- 𒉿𒅈𒉡 verb (to set fire to, to light)
Ingrian
3 entries- syttää verb (to set fire to, to light)
- sytyttää verb (to set fire to, to light)
- virittää verb (to set fire to, to light)
Irish
1 entries- adhain verb (to set fire to, to light)
Italian
1 entries- incendiare verb (to set fire to, to light)
Japanese
1 entries- 火を点ける verb (to set fire to, to light)
Kazakh
1 entries- тұтандыру verb (to set fire to, to light)
Khmer
1 entries- បញ្ឆេះ verb (to set fire to, to light)
Korean
2 entries- 불을 지르다 verb (to set fire to, to light)
- 점화(點火)하다 verb (to set fire to, to light)
Ladin
2 entries- de fuech verb (to set fire to, to light)
- tizé verb (to set fire to, to light)
Latin
2 entries- ignio verb (to set fire to, to light)
- incendō verb (to set fire to, to light)
Macedonian
1 entries- запали verb (to set fire to, to light)
Marathi
1 entries- पेटवणे verb (to set fire to, to light)
Mongolian
2 entries- асаах verb (to set fire to, to light)
- ноцоох verb (to set fire to, to light)
Māori
1 entries- whakakāpura verb (to set fire to, to light)
Old English
1 entries- onǣlan verb (to set fire to, to light)
Polish
2 entries- zapalać verb (to set fire to, to light)
- zapalić verb (to set fire to, to light)
Portuguese
2 entries- acender verb (to set fire to, to light)
- incendiar verb (to set fire to, to light)
Romanian
2 entries- aprinde verb (to set fire to, to light)
- da foc verb (to set fire to, to light)
Russian
4 entries- воспламени́ть verb (to set fire to, to light)
- воспламеня́ть verb (to set fire to, to light)
- заже́чь verb (to set fire to, to light)
- зажига́ть verb (to set fire to, to light)
Sardinian
1 entries- affoghizare verb (to set fire to, to light)
Spanish
4 entries- encender verb (to set fire to, to light)
- ignicionar verb (to set fire to, to light)
- incendiar verb (to set fire to, to light)
- poner ignito verb (to set fire to, to light)
Swedish
1 entries- tända verb (to set fire to, to light)
Vietnamese
1 entries- đốt verb (to set fire to, to light)
Welsh
1 entries- cynnau verb (to set fire to, to light)
Sample sentences
14 total sentences available.
Sometimes, I think the president is just trying to ignite a controversy when he gives a speech.
Source: tatoeba (7746210)
What you wish to ignite in another must burn inside you.
Source: tatoeba (7891537)
What you want to ignite in others has to be burning within yourself.
Source: tatoeba (9409770)
Showing 4 of 14 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "ignite"?
Closest matches include light, aflare, alight, arouse, awake.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "ignite"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.