/ ɪnˈfleɪt; NAmE / verb
1.
to fill sth or become filled with gas or air :
[ vn ]
Inflate your life jacket by pulling sharply on the cord.
[ v ]
The life jacket failed to inflate.
2.
[ vn ] to make sth appear to be more important or impressive than it really is
3.
to increase in price; to increase the price of sth :
[ vn ]
The principal effect of the demand for new houses was to inflate prices.
[ v ]
Food prices are no longer inflating at the same rate as last year.
—compare deflate , reflate
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Latin inflat- blown into, from the verb inflare , from in- into + flare to blow.