fireball
noun
fire·ball
ˈfī(-ə)r-ˌbȯl 
1
: a ball of fire
also
: something resembling such a ball
the primordial fireball associated with the beginning of the universe —
Scientific American
Scientific American 2
: a brilliant meteor that may trail bright sparks
3
: the highly luminous cloud of vapor and dust created by a nuclear explosion
4
: a highly energetic person
Examples of fireball in a Sentence
The house erupted into a fireball.
what this club needs is a fireball who will bring some sorely needed energy and enthusiasm
Recent Examples on the Web
The fireball incident is likely the first of many that is going to happen in the area within the next few months.
—Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
The dramatic blast and its aftermath were captured in footage circulating on Chinese social media site Weibo, which showed a large fireball exploding from a multistory building, destroying its walls and ceiling and sending huge plumes of smoke into the sky.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024
Drab visuals aside, the actual bending scenes are a vast improvement over Shyamalan’s version, and there’s a distinct thrill in watching characters lob fireballs, raise walls of solid rock, or freeze ocean waves into spiky shards of ice.
—Devan Coggan, EW.com, 22 Feb. 2024
Re-entering the discernible atmosphere, the Crew Dragon followed a northwest-to-southeast trajectory across the United States, rapidly slowing in a fireball of super-heated air.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2024
On top of that, the moon will be at approximately half illumination, meaning stargazers will have a more challenging time viewing the shooting stars, though the bright fireballs can cut through light pollution, Live Science reports.
—USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024
Video from the scene shows a massive fireball erupting from the park.
—Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 3 Feb. 2024
Mario can’t sprint, toss fireballs or anything like that.
—Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024
Those that are especially bright — sometimes appearing even brighter than Venus — it's called a fireball.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2024
Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
The dramatic blast and its aftermath were captured in footage circulating on Chinese social media site Weibo, which showed a large fireball exploding from a multistory building, destroying its walls and ceiling and sending huge plumes of smoke into the sky.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024
Drab visuals aside, the actual bending scenes are a vast improvement over Shyamalan’s version, and there’s a distinct thrill in watching characters lob fireballs, raise walls of solid rock, or freeze ocean waves into spiky shards of ice.
—Devan Coggan, EW.com, 22 Feb. 2024
Re-entering the discernible atmosphere, the Crew Dragon followed a northwest-to-southeast trajectory across the United States, rapidly slowing in a fireball of super-heated air.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2024
On top of that, the moon will be at approximately half illumination, meaning stargazers will have a more challenging time viewing the shooting stars, though the bright fireballs can cut through light pollution, Live Science reports.
—USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024
Video from the scene shows a massive fireball erupting from the park.
—Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 3 Feb. 2024
Mario can’t sprint, toss fireballs or anything like that.
—Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024
Those that are especially bright — sometimes appearing even brighter than Venus — it's called a fireball.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fireball.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of fireball was
in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near fireball
Cite this Entry
“Fireball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fireball. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
fireball
noun
fire·ball
-ˌbȯl
1
: a ball of fire
2
: a very bright meteor
3
: the glowing cloud of vapor and dust created by a nuclear explosion
More from Merriam-Webster on fireball
Nglish: Translation of fireball for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fireball
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share