1.
to flare up, to burst into flames, to blaze up
For fire or flames to suddenly rise up intensely. Describes the dramatic moment when something catches fire or when flames grow in intensity.
炎が燃え上がった。
The flames flared up.
風で火が一気に燃え上がった。
The fire flared up all at once in the wind.
乾燥した落ち葉に火がつき、あっという間に燃え上がった。
The dry fallen leaves caught fire and blazed up in an instant.
2.
to be inflamed, to burn with passion
For emotions such as anger, passion, or fighting spirit to surge intensely. A figurative extension of the fire imagery.
闘志が燃え上がる。
My fighting spirit is fired up.
観客の応援で選手たちが燃え上がった。
The athletes were fired up by the cheering of the spectators.
不正に対する怒りが国中で燃え上がり、大規模なデモに発展した。
Anger against the injustice flared up across the country, developing into large-scale protests.
GRAMMAR:
Godan verb (燃え上がる → 燃え上がります). A compound verb formed from 燃える (to burn) + 上がる (to rise). Intransitive — there is no direct transitive counterpart.
The 上がる component adds the nuance of upward movement and sudden intensification, distinguishing this from the more neutral 燃える.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 炎が燃え上がる: flames flare up
- 闘志が燃え上がる: fighting spirit flares up
- 怒りが燃え上がる: anger flares up
- 一気に燃え上がる: to blaze up all at once