catch fire

catch fire

English

Pronunciation

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Verb

catch fire (third-person singular simple present catches fire, present participle catching fire, simple past and past participle caught fire)

1. (idiomatic) To become engulfed in flames.
2. (figuratively) To become very popular or widespread; to take off.
   • 2002, Latifa Al-Zayyat, ‎Marilyn Booth, The Open Door (page 9)

     The news caught fire through the school, and Layla found herself — a mere first-year student at the secondary school — the center of attention and admiration.

3. (figuratively) To be inspired by passion or zeal.

Translations

become engulfed in flames

Chinese: Mandarin: 起火 (zh) (qǐhuǒ), 失火 (zh) (shīhuǒ), 發火 (zh), 发火 (zh) (fāhuǒ) Esperanto: bruliĝi Finnish: syttyä tuleen French: s'enflammer (fr), prendre feu (fr) German: Feuer fangen, entflammen (de) Japanese: 引火する (いんかする, inka suru) Latin: ardescō

Norwegian: antenne, ta fyr Portuguese: pegar fogo Russian: загора́ться (ru) impf (zagorátʹsja), загоре́ться (ru) pf (zagorétʹsja), возгора́ться (ru) impf (vozgorátʹsja), возгоре́ться (ru) pf (vozgorétʹsja) Slovene: vneti se Spanish: prender (es) Swedish: ta eld, börja brinna, ta fyr Walloon: prinde feu