afire
/əˈfaɪɚ/adverb, adjective
afire is spelled A-F-I-R-E: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 55,433rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adverb, afire means “On fire (often metaphorically)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in afire?
| Letters | 5: A-F-I-R-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 55,433rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is afire?
Afire appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 55,433rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce afire?
- /əˈfaɪɚ/
Afire has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-afire.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with afire?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as afire.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: feria.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of afire
- more afire comparative
- most afire superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does afire mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adverb
- 1
On fire (often metaphorically).
adjective
- 1
On fire (often metaphorically).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Afire in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | ardent |
| German | in Flammen, in Brand , Feuer und Flamme sein, begeistert sein |
| Spanish | ardiendo |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does afire come from?
13ᵗʰc., from Middle English afire, equivalent to a- (“on”) + fire. Figurative usage from late 14ᵗʰc.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).