Word.ws English Dictionary

sets on fire

sets on fire is the third-person singular simple present indicative of set on fire.

Meaning of set on fire

Verb

set on fire (third-person singular simple present sets on fire, present participle setting on fire, simple past set on fire, past participle set on fire or (dialectal) setten on fire)

  1. (transitive) To cause to begin to burn.
    • I don't want to set the world on fire / I just want to start a flame in your heart1941 [1938], Bennie Benjamin, Eddie Durham, Sol Marcus, Eddie Seiler, “I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire” (0:05 from the start), performed by The Ink Spots, Decca
    Synonyms:
    set afire, set alight, set fire to, set ablaze, set aflame, aflame, alight, conflagrate, fire, fire up
  2. (figuratively, transitive) To arouse passionate feelings in.
    • You set my heart on fire.

Questions about sets on fire

What is sets on fire the third-person singular simple present indicative of?
Sets on fire is the third-person singular simple present indicative of set on fire.

Words near sets on fire in the dictionary

  1. sets of pipes
  2. sets of wheels
  3. sets off
  4. sets on
  5. sets on a pedestal
  6. sets on fire
  7. sets on foot
  8. sets one's cap at
  9. sets one's face against
  10. sets one's hair on fire
  11. sets one's hand to

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: sets on fire (page history and authors); set on fire (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Cite this entry: “sets on fire.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/sets_on_fire. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.