Incendiary
adjective
Used to describe something that is designed to cause a fire.
They were charged with possessing incendiary devices.
Often appears as...
- incendiary device
- incendiary bomb
adjective
Used to describe something that is likely to cause anger or violence.
His incendiary speech provoked a riot.
Often appears as...
- incendiary comment
- incendiary speech
Usage tips
Formal, Disapproving
noun
A person who causes conflicts or problems.
He was known as an incendiary whose actions often led to fights.
Often appears as...
- incendiary action
- incendiary behavior
Usage tips
Disapproving
noun
A device that was designed to start a fire.
They used an incendiary to start the forest fire.
Often appears as...
- incendiary bomb
- incendiary device
adjective
Used to describe something that is designed to cause a fire.
They were charged with possessing incendiary devices.
Often appears as...
- incendiary device
- incendiary bomb
adjective
Used to describe something that is likely to cause anger or violence.
His incendiary speech provoked a riot.
Often appears as...
- incendiary comment
- incendiary speech
Usage tips
Formal, Disapproving
noun
A person who causes conflicts or problems.
He was known as an incendiary whose actions often led to fights.
Often appears as...
- incendiary action
- incendiary behavior
Usage tips
Disapproving
noun
A device that was designed to start a fire.
They used an incendiary to start the forest fire.
Often appears as...
- incendiary bomb
- incendiary device
Definition 1 of 4
Pro Tip 1/2Physical Harm
Indicates objects designed to create actual fires, causing physical damage or destruction.
The abandoned warehouse was burned down using incendiary devices.
Pro Tip 2/2Weapon Context
Usually found in discussions related to warfare, terrorism, or arson.
Incendiary weapons are prohibited in civilian areas under international law.
Pro Tip 1/2Physical Harm
Indicates objects designed to create actual fires, causing physical damage or destruction.
The abandoned warehouse was burned down using incendiary devices.
Pro Tip 2/2Weapon Context
Usually found in discussions related to warfare, terrorism, or arson.
Incendiary weapons are prohibited in civilian areas under international law.
Pro Tip 1/2Physical Harm
Indicates objects designed to create actual fires, causing physical damage or destruction.
The abandoned warehouse was burned down using incendiary devices.
Pro Tip 2/2Weapon Context
Usually found in discussions related to warfare, terrorism, or arson.
Incendiary weapons are prohibited in civilian areas under international law.
Compare with
aggravatearsoncombustibleexplosiveinflammatoryinstigateinsurrectionaryprovocativeseditious
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Video examples
A Black man goes...
I took a cell phone and accidentally made myself famous. I was just talking about the things that I cared about, but with the click of a button and an incendiary viral video
Video examples
A Black man goes...
I took a cell phone and accidentally made myself famous. I was just talking about the things that I cared about, but with the click of a button and an incendiary viral video
Example 1 of 1
Quote examples
Jon Huntsman, Jr.
American Politician
It's a tribal state, and it always will be. Whether we like it or not, whenever we withdraw from Afghanistan, whether it's now or years from now, we'll have an incendiary situation. Should we stay and play traffic cop? I don't think that serves our strategic interests.
Quote examples
Sheldon Whitehouse
American Politician
I think a lot of the people who voted for Donald Trump were frustrated. And what they thought was, OK, government is broken. Therefore, we're going to send in this incendiary character. And he's just going to going to bust it all up, and we'll see what happens.
Quote examples
Laura Wasser
American Lawyer
Sometimes, just the act of venting is helpful. Counseling provides a safe haven for precisely that kind of free-ranging release: You can say things in the therapist's office, with the therapist present, that would be incendiary or hurtful in your living room.
Quote examples
George Packer
American Novelist
Republicans today have given the country conservatism in the spirit of Sarah Palin, whose ignorance about the world, contempt for expertise, and raw appeals to white identity politics presaged Trump's incendiary campaign.
Quote examples
Rebecca Traister
American Author
The End of Men' was an incendiary title, but the actual book was very sympathetic to men. It was very invested in a lot of the challenges men are facing with unemployment and the economy changing because of technology.
Quote examples
Karl Liebknecht
German Politician
Incendiary capitalism is carrying its out evil works more dangerously than ever, and is doing so in the increasingly dangerous neighborhood of the powder kegs that are the great European military powers.
Quote examples
Philip Kaufman
American Director
What's really interesting about that is that a lot of these words that were incendiary in their time now seem almost harmless and laughable, because they have this archaic quality.
Quote examples
Arthur Quiller-Couch
English Writer
The real tragedy of the Library at Alexandria was not that the incendiaries burned immensely, but that they had neither the leisure nor the taste to discriminate.
Quote examples
Gary Bauer
American Public Servant
Democratic politicians, liberal activists and liberal news outlets routinely deploy incendiary rhetoric and wicked accusations to marginalize Republicans.
Quote examples
Michael Steele
American Politician
Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer. Rush Limbaugh's whole thing is entertainment. Yes, it is incendiary. Yes, it is ugly.
Quote examples
Jon Huntsman, Jr.
American Politician
It's a tribal state, and it always will be. Whether we like it or not, whenever we withdraw from Afghanistan, whether it's now or years from now, we'll have an incendiary situation. Should we stay and play traffic cop? I don't think that serves our strategic interests.
Quote examples
Sheldon Whitehouse
American Politician
I think a lot of the people who voted for Donald Trump were frustrated. And what they thought was, OK, government is broken. Therefore, we're going to send in this incendiary character. And he's just going to going to bust it all up, and we'll see what happens.
Quote examples
Laura Wasser
American Lawyer
Sometimes, just the act of venting is helpful. Counseling provides a safe haven for precisely that kind of free-ranging release: You can say things in the therapist's office, with the therapist present, that would be incendiary or hurtful in your living room.
Quote examples
George Packer
American Novelist
Republicans today have given the country conservatism in the spirit of Sarah Palin, whose ignorance about the world, contempt for expertise, and raw appeals to white identity politics presaged Trump's incendiary campaign.
Quote examples
Rebecca Traister
American Author
The End of Men' was an incendiary title, but the actual book was very sympathetic to men. It was very invested in a lot of the challenges men are facing with unemployment and the economy changing because of technology.
Quote examples
Karl Liebknecht
German Politician
Incendiary capitalism is carrying its out evil works more dangerously than ever, and is doing so in the increasingly dangerous neighborhood of the powder kegs that are the great European military powers.
Quote examples
Philip Kaufman
American Director
What's really interesting about that is that a lot of these words that were incendiary in their time now seem almost harmless and laughable, because they have this archaic quality.
Quote examples
Arthur Quiller-Couch
English Writer
The real tragedy of the Library at Alexandria was not that the incendiaries burned immensely, but that they had neither the leisure nor the taste to discriminate.
Quote examples
Gary Bauer
American Public Servant
Democratic politicians, liberal activists and liberal news outlets routinely deploy incendiary rhetoric and wicked accusations to marginalize Republicans.
Quote examples
Michael Steele
American Politician
Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer. Rush Limbaugh's whole thing is entertainment. Yes, it is incendiary. Yes, it is ugly.
Example 1 of 10
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