incendiary

/ɪnˌsɛndiˈɛri/

Other forms: incendiaries

An incendiary device is a bomb. An incendiary statement is, "That idea is absolute garbage." Both are likely to produce an explosion of one kind or another.

Incendiary means more than flammable. It means explosive, in both a literal and figurative way. If you're a radical who changes the world by exciting people and makes as many enemies as followers, you're an incendiary figure. The speeches you give that rile people up are incendiary. The fires you set are also incendiary, and by setting them you are also likely to be called an incendiary — someone who burns things, more commonly known as an arsonist.

Definitions of incendiary

1. adjective

   capable of catching fire spontaneously or causing fires or burning readily
   “an incendiary agent”

   “incendiary bombs”

   synonyms:

   combustible

   capable of igniting and burning
2. adjective

   involving deliberate burning of property
   “an incendiary fire”
3. adjective

   arousing to action or rebellion
   synonyms: incitive, inflammatory, instigative, rabble-rousing, seditious

   provocative

   serving or tending to provoke, excite, or stimulate; stimulating discussion or exciting controversy
4. noun

   a criminal who illegally sets fire to property
   synonyms: arsonist, firebug

   types:

   barnburner

   someone who burns down a barn

   type of:

   criminal, crook, felon, malefactor, outlaw

   someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime
5. noun

   a bomb that is designed to start fires; is most effective against flammable targets (such as fuel)
   synonyms: firebomb, incendiary bomb

   type of:

   bomb

   an explosive device fused to explode under specific conditions