fiery

adjective

fi·​ery ˈfī(-ə)-rē 

fierier; fieriest

1

a

: consisting of fire

fiery tongues playing about the roof of the burning building

b

: marked by fire

a fiery crash

c

: using or carried out with fire

the fiery experiments of the ancient alchemists

d

: liable to catch fire or explode : flammable

a fiery vapor

2

a

: hot like a fire

the fiery taste of red pepper

b(1)

: being in an inflamed state or condition

a fiery boil

(2)

: feverish and flushed

a fiery forehead

3

: of the color of fire : red

a fiery sunset

4

a

: full of or exuding emotion or spirit

a fiery sermon

b

: easily provoked : irritable

a fiery temper

fierily

ˈfī-rə-lē 

adverb

fieriness

ˈfī-rē-nəs 

noun

fiery adverb

Synonyms

• ablaze
• afire
• aflame
• alight [chiefly British]
• blazing
• burning
• combusting
• conflagrant
• flaming
• ignited
• inflamed
• enflamed
• kindled
• lit
• lighted

Examples of fiery in a Sentence

He was killed in a fiery crash.

the fiery Yule log made a splendid backdrop for our holiday party

Recent Examples on the Web

For that red-hot setup, Selfridges placed a fiery red Jil Sander coat, straight from the brand’s spring 2025 runway, front and center. —Violet Goldstone, WWD, 12 Mar. 2025

Washington Post critic Ron Charles (March 9) How bad could the North Sea tanker collision be for the environment? Crew member reveals harrowing details of fiery cargo ship crash off U.K. —Kerry Breen, CBS News, 11 Mar. 2025

The luxurious red hair and fiery green eyes of Maureen O’Hara were picture perfect for a three-strip closeup. —Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2025

By excluding Russia from the bilateral peace talks with Ukraine in Saudi Arabia, the Trump administration may be signalling more willingness to revive the relationship that was shaken by Zelensky's fiery meeting with Trump and allies in the Oval Office. —Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from fire, fier fire

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for fiery

• diary
• friary
• priory

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Kids Definition

fiery

adjective

fi·​ery ˈfī-(ə-)rē 

fierier; fieriest

1

: being on fire : blazing

2

: hot or glowing like a fire

3

a

: full of spirit

a fiery speech

b

: easily set off

a fiery temper

fieriness noun