firestorm

noun

fire·​storm ˈfī(-ə)r-ˌstȯrm 

1

: a very intense and destructive fire usually accompanied by high winds

The Rooses' house and gardens were obliterated in the 1991 Oakland firestorm.

—Craig Summers Black

especially : one that is started by attack with nuclear or incendiary weapons and that creates a powerful updraft which causes very strong inrushing winds to develop in the surrounding area

His goal was to create firestorms like the ones that had consumed Hamburg and Dresden, conflagrations so vast and intense that nothing could survive them …

—David M. Kennedy

2

a

: a sudden or violent outburst

a firestorm of public protest

b

: a raging controversy

a political firestorm

Synonyms

• contestation
• controversy
• debate
• difference
• difficulty
• disagreement
• disputation
• dispute
• dissension
• dissention
• dissensus
• nonconcurrence

Examples of firestorm in a Sentence

The bombing left the city engulfed in a firestorm.

His proposal set off a political firestorm.

a firestorm of public protest

Recent Examples on the Web

The move has ignited a firestorm on our campus, which has now spread to more than a dozen schools across the country. —Nara Milanich, TIME, 26 Apr. 2024

Things take an ugly turn when the fake cops inadvertently run over and kill an Arab man, triggering a firestorm amongst locals. —Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined at sense 1