inflated
Meaning
filled with air or gas so as to be swollen or enlarged
(of prices, figures, etc.) increased to a level that is higher than is justified or realistic
(of language, opinions, etc.) exaggerated or pompous
Structure
Usage
the children played with a brightly colored inflated beach ball.
the company was accused of selling the product at an inflated price.
his inflated sense of his own importance annoyed his colleagues.
Etymology
the word 'inflated' originates from the latin verb inflare, meaning 'to blow into' or 'to puff up', which is a compound of the prefix in- ('into') and the verb flare ('to blow'). this literal sense of filling something with air or breath evolved through late latin and middle english to describe physical expansion. by the 17th century, the meaning extended metaphorically to describe economic prices or rhetorical language that is artificially or excessively 'puffed up' beyond its true or natural state, capturing the core idea of unnatural enlargement from an external force.
Analysis
in- (latin origin, a prefix meaning 'in, into, on'); flat (from latin flare, 'to blow'); -ed (old english origin, a suffix forming adjectives, often from past participles)