Just wanted to ask if in your opinion the word "ignition" can connect to emotions in some way (like boosting emotions), or if it's too far...
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1Too far for what? Formal writing? Plausibility?– B. SzonyeCommented Feb 8, 2014 at 0:00
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2 Answers
Using "ignite" with more active emotional states - love, anger, fury - seems reasonable enough.
Using it with calm or boredom is going too far.
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Thank you so much for your answer. I was just curious if you can, e.g., ignite sadness. What do you think? Sound too artificial?– AntónioCommented Feb 7, 2014 at 23:53
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You would use ignite to link the start of the emotion some fiery emotion itself. With sadness, a damp and deadening feeling, you would choose a different word that links to this...like "drowning", perhaps.– OldcatCommented Feb 8, 2014 at 0:08
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See this Ngram: books.google.com/ngrams/… "Ignite passion" is fairly common, while "incite anger" is generally used instead of "ignite anger", and there are no hits for "ignite sadness" or "ignite fury". It is perhaps used with passion because of the association of being (sexually) "turned on".– nxxCommented Feb 8, 2014 at 13:56
People often use fire metaphors for certain emotions: passion, ambition, love, wrath. Thus, you can ignite (or kindle) these emotions, metaphorically.
Other emotions, like sadness and serenity, have very different traits that don't fit the fire metaphor. You can inspire them but not ignite them. You can also incite many emotions (although probably not serenity).
