verb
inflate
in-FLAYT/ɪnˈfleɪt/
To expand something by forcing gas into it.
She uses a small hand pump to inflate the bike tire.
Etymology
To blow into something is to make it swell. That physical enlargement also supplies the image for making a price, amount, or claim larger than it should be.
In context
most of us tend to inflate the importance of attitudes, dispositions, and we tend to neglect the importance of situations in explaining behavior.
More examples
- We inflate the balloons with helium before the party.
- The life jacket inflates when you pull the cord.
- Do not inflate the air mattress beyond its recommended pressure.
Forms
inflate · inflates · inflated · inflating
inflatable adjective — Designed to expand when filled with gas.
inflation noun — Expansion caused by filling with gas.