inflate

Word family

Related topics: Business, Economics

[intransitiveI, transitiveT]AIR to fill something with air or gas so it becomes larger, or to become filled with air or gas (使)充氣，(使)膨脹

It took us half an hour to inflate the dinghy.

我們用了半小時給橡皮筏充好氣。

Her life jacket failed to inflate.

她的救生衣未能充進去氣。

2 [transitiveT]IMPORTANT to make something seem more important or impressive than it really is 吹噓，吹捧

The success further inflated his self-confidence.

那次成功使他進一步自我膨脹。

be grossly/vastly/hugely inflated

The numbers of people involved have been grossly inflated by the media.

涉及的人數被媒體嚴重誇大了。

3 [intransitiveI, transitiveT] technicalBPE to increase in price, or to make something increase in price (使)漲價

Hotels often inflate prices at particular times of the year.

酒店經常在一年中的某些時候擡高價格。

Costs were inflating.

成本在上漲。

Examples from the Corpus

inflate• Beauty, money, and popularity can all inflate a person's ego.• The raft inflates automatically.• Axe says that the management pressured him to inflate cost estimates on repairs.• We inflated the balloons with helium.• You can inflate the mattress in 30 seconds, using a foot pump.• Tyres should always be inflated to the correct pressure.

be grossly/vastly/hugely inflated• The horse's nostrils were vastly inflated and it was panting rhythmically as its hooves struck the hard ground.

From Longman Business Dictionary

inflatein·flate /ɪnˈfleɪt/ verb [intransitiveI, transitiveT]ECONOMICS

if the cost or level of something inflates or is inflated, it increases, often above what is reasonable or normal

Overseas sales were inflated by the depreciation of the yen.

Costs of bringing crops to market are likely to inflate due to the high price of oil.

Origin inflate

(1400-1500) Latin past participle of inflare, from flare “to blow”

Syllable

Corpus