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 of fireball

• pistol
• dynamo

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

Once again, rates are low — around five meteors per hour under ideal conditions — but fireballs are possible. — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 12 Oct. 2026

The report — obtained by ProPublica from the Federal Aviation Administration through a freedom of information request — shows video captured a fireball, then a shower of sparkling debris in the sky moments after the explosion. — Heather Vogell, ProPublica, 8 Oct. 2026

The splashdown wasn’t as soft as the one seen in July during the previous flight, causing a massive fireball over the water. — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026

Since particles from hotter matter generally have more momentum, the changes revealed how the fireball’s temperature varies between collisions. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for fireball

• aerosol
• alcohol
• arbitral
• basketball
• butanol
• cannonball
• carbinol
• cortisol
• ethanol
• gasohol
• gossypol
• guaiacol

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