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

Here in Eruemukohwarien, a few individual villagers climb over the perimeter sandbags in order to place their cassava, laid out on bamboo trays, in shocking proximity to the 30-foot fireball. —Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026

This fireball incident follows hot on the heels of a separate daytime fireball event that rattled houses over northern Ohio on the morning of March 17, scattering meteorites in the vicinity of Medina County. —Anthony Wood, Space.com, 23 Mar. 2026

Christopher Vigil More than 200 people reported seeing a fireball around that time, according to the American Meteor Society, with most sightings in California and others in Arizona and Nevada. —Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026

The incident came just five days after the meteor measuring nearly 6 feet in diameter and weighing about 7 tons caused a fireball in the sky near the Cleveland, Ohio, area, according to a NASA statement. —Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 22 Mar. 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
• catarrhal
• cortisol
• ethanol
• gasohol
• 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