inflate

Universal Words verb 1 to fill sth or become filled with gas or air: [VN] Inflate your life jacket by pulling sharply on the cord. * The balloons had been inflated with helium. * When attacked, the fish inflates itself to twice its size. * [V] The life jacket failed to inflate. 2 [VN] (written) to make sth appear to be more important or impressive than it really is: The media have grossly inflated the significance of this meeting. 3 (written) to increase in price; to increase the price of sth: [VN] The principal effect of the demand for new houses was to inflate prices. * The profit margin had been artificially inflated. * [V] Food prices are no longer inflating at the same rate as last year. compareDEFLATE, REFLATE