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

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

Synonyms

• dynamo
• live wire
• pistol

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 space rock, reckoned to be about 1.6-4 feet (0.5-1.2 meters), according to EarthSky, was seen as a bright fireball above Yakutia in Siberia, Russia, where it’s thought that small fragments may have made it to the ground. —Jamie Carter, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024

The explosion, which was described as a fireball, according to the Jefferson City News Tribune, was felt by residents for miles. —Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY, 2 Dec. 2024

The maps show the fireball radius (inner yellow circle), in which everything would be vaporized by intense heat rising to millions of degrees Fahrenheit and the more moderate blast damage radius (inner gray circle), which would destroy residential buildings and probably cause widespread fires. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2024

Moments later, a large fireball can be seen in the sky rising from behind the building, followed by a plume of black smoke. —Rob Picheta, CNN, 26 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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