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

Saturday a few hours after several explosions were heard in Venezuela’s capital city of Caracas, witnesses said, and photos and videos showed plumes of smoke and a large fireball in the night sky. —ABC News, 4 Jan. 2026

Your first major opportunity to spot shooting stars and bright fireballs in 2026 arrives overnight tonight with the peak of the Quadrantid meteor shower, though only the brightest members may be visible, as the annual event crescendos in the bright light of a full moon. —Anthony Wood, Space.com, 3 Jan. 2026

The fireball was silent, both North Carolinians said. —Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 3 Jan. 2026

Though a full moon will spoil the show in 2026, stargazers could be treated to a host of bright fireballs and the sight of multiple meteors per hour whizzing across the night sky at more than 25 miles per second when the Quadrantids peak. —Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 2 Jan. 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