Word.ws English Dictionary

setting on fire

setting on fire is the present participle and gerund 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 setting on fire

What is setting on fire the present participle and gerund of?
Setting on fire is the present participle and gerund of set on fire.

Words near setting on fire in the dictionary

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

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: setting 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.

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