befeuerten

Befeuerten is the simple past (Präteritum) form of the German verb befeuern. Beifueren means to supply with fuel for a fire or furnace, to stoke a boiler or engine by feeding it fuel such as coal, oil, or gas. The term also has a metaphorical use, meaning to fuel, spur, or intensify a process, discussion, or trend. As a past tense form, befeuerten appears in narrative contexts and is used with a direct object in the accusative.

The verb is transitive and commonly combined with concrete objects, for example a furnace or engine: den Ofen befeuerten, den Kessel befeuerten. In figurative usage, befeuern can describe boosting momentum or enthusiasm: Die Debatte wurde durch neue Argumente befeuert. Das Partizip Perfekt lautet befeuert, used with auxiliary haben (er hat befeuert) or in passive constructions (wurde befeuert).

Etymology: befeuern derives from be- (a prefix forming transitive verbs) and Feuer (fire), literally “to feed fire” and by extension “to fuel or stimulate.” In engineering, historical contexts, and technical writing, the term appears frequently. In modern prose, the metaphorical sense—something being befeuert—occurs often in discussions of economics, politics, and technology.

See also: befeuern, Befeuerung, Feuerung.