bonfire

noun

bon·​fire ˈbän-ˌfī(-ə)r 

: a large fire built in the open air

Examples of bonfire in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

About 150 competitors from Illinois, Wisconsin, Georgia, Texas, South Carolina and more are expected to converge at the annual rodeo, which began as a bonfire among fellow equestrians and farmers. — Anna Ortiz, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026

Beach towns are cool, but some destinations were simply made for cozy evenings by the bonfire, drinking cider, taking hayrides, attending harvest festivals, and driving through scenic fall foliage. — Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 15 Sep. 2026

For more fall fun, head to Ramsey’s Farm for hay rides, a pumpkin patch, and evening bonfires. — Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026

When summer turned to winter in Little Moreau Park, folks gathered around the frozen lake in their vehicles and threw wooden pallets on the ice to make a bonfire. — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English bonefire a fire of bones, from bon bone + fire

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bonfire

• briar
• brier
• buyer
• choir
• crier
• cryer
• drier
• dryer
• eyer
• flier
• flyer
• friar

Kids Definition

bonfire

noun

bon·​fire ˈbän-ˌfī(ə)r 

: a large outdoor fire