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 of fiery

• blazing
• burning
• flaming
• smoldering
• flickering

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

Here was the humble trade unionist, born into extreme poverty, standing up as a fiery-eyed tribune of the workers. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2026

Bassetti was on fiery form during his fireside chat, calling out streamers for not sharing back end and calling on European producers to demand better terms of trade to avoid remaining simply guns for hire. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026

Behind a fiery night from forward Angel Reese, the Dream downed the Valkyries 79-65 on Monday night at Chase Center. — Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 20 Oct. 2026

After a big road win against longtime nemesis Oregon, video posted online showed Chesney delivering a fiery speech to his team in the tunnel before facing the Ducks. — Jordan Puente, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026

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