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inflation
In economic terms, this word carries a heavy weight of anxiety and instability. It suggests a gradual erosion of value where the same amount of currency buys fewer goods over time, creating a sense of shrinking power for the consumer. In a physical or biological sense, the word shifts toward a feeling of pressure and expansion. It evokes the tactile sensation of something filling up to its limit, whether it is a mechanical device like a tire or a biological organ like a lung.
Uncountable when discussing the general economic phenomenon of rising prices. Countable when referring to specific instances or types of expansion, such as the inflation of several balloons.