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Catch fire

Idiomatic Phrase
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

To ignite suddenly in popular enthusiasm, excitement, or success; in poetic narrative, it denotes a swift contagion of passion, fame, or revolutionary fervor among a populace or within an individual’s spirit.

Detailed Definition
Catch fire describes rapid enthusiasm or inspiration, vivid for poetic moments of ignition in creativity or movement.
Example
Example in poetry:
“One true line and the whole poem catches fire” makes inspiration seem contagious and sudden; “The dry grass caught fire beneath the heat” supplies the idiom’s literal source; In Bradbury’s title Fahrenheit 451, fire becomes both destruction and illumination, useful context for symbolic use; “Her refrain caught fire online” updates the phrase for viral attention
Additional Notes
For "catch fire," notes cover viral spread in movements or ideas. Tip: Use for inspiration propagation. Related: "chain reaction." Aids momentum and influence studies.
Also Known As
ignite spark take off become excited become popular catch on burst into flame
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