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

The messages grew increasingly alarming before the Learjet 60, which was traveling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas, ultimately crashed and erupted in a fireball. — CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026

Dashcam footage captured the jet plunging nose-first into the neighborhood and erupting into a massive fireball, as Fox News Digital previously reported. — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2026

Photos and videos online showed a jet hitting the ground nose-first and bursting into a fireball. — ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026

Harrowing video footage showed the plane slamming into the ground in a fireball, leaving a large crater in the ground, PEOPLE previously reported. — Brian Brant, PEOPLE, 2 Nov. 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