fireball

Meaning

Noun

1. A ball of fire, especially one associated with an explosion, or (fiction, mythology) thrown as a weapon.
2. (figuratively, informal) A feisty, strong-willed person.
3. (figuratively) Synonym of fastball (“a high-speed pitch of a baseball”).
4. A bright glow caused by a spacecraft re-entering an atmosphere.
5. A meteor bright enough to cast shadows; a bolide.
6. A class of sailing dinghy with a single trapeze and a symmetrical spinnaker, sailed by a crew of two.
7. (historical) A bag or ball filled with combustible material which is thrown as a weapon or to set something alight.
8. (historical) A bag or ball filled with combustible material which is thrown as a weapon or to set something alight.
9. (obsolete) An emanation of St. Elmo's fire; also (later), of ball lightning.
10. (obsolete) A ball-shaped firelighter (“small block of a flammable substance, typically a combination of sawdust and wax, used to light fires”).
11. (obsolete) A ball of heat-resistant material placed in a fire to slow down the burning of the fuel.
12. (figuratively, obsolete) A statement intended to cause dissension or as a provocation.

Adj

Excellent, terrific.

Verb

1. (transitive) To attack (someone or something) with balls of fire.
2. (intransitive) To explode in a ball of fire or flame.
3. (figuratively, intransitive) To emerge suddenly; to explode.
4. (intransitive) To pitch a baseball very fast.

Opposite of

excellent, good, great, positive, superior

Synonyms

bolide

ball of fire

falling star

powerhouse

human dynamo

meteor

ball lightning

scarlet bell tree

shooting star

African tulip tree

African tuliptree

fountain tree

rarningobchey

Translations

bolide

Feuerball

boule de feu

bola de fuego

bola de fogo

vuurbol

Feuerkugel

palla di fuoco

ignosfera

كرة نارية

Bolide

meteorite

bolide

Kugelblitz

كُرَة نَارِيَّة

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈfaɪəbɔːl/

Etymology

The noun is derived from fire (noun) + ball (noun). The adjective and verb are derived from the noun.