noun
inferno
in-FUR-noh/ɪnˈfɜːrnəʊ/
A raging fire of overwhelming destructive intensity.
The warehouse burns in an inferno of towering flames and dark smoke.
Etymology
Italian inferno means “Hell.” Its use for a large, raging fire draws on the Christian image of Hell as a place of fire and intense heat.
In context
As the hot air moves up, cooler air rushing in to replace it produces severe gusts of wind inside the inferno, which in turn fuels the fire.
More examples
- Strong winds turned the small brush fire into an inferno.
- The family escaped the inferno moments before the roof collapsed.
- Dry conditions can turn ordinary campfires into deadly infernos.
Forms
inferno · infernos
Similar words
- conflagration
- A more formal term emphasizing a fire's extensive spread.
- blaze
- A strong fire, not necessarily overwhelmingly intense or destructive.