meteoric

adjective

me·​te·​or·​ic ˌmē-tē-ˈȯr-ik 

-ˈär-

1

a

: of or relating to a meteor

b

: resembling a meteor in speed or in sudden and temporary brilliance

a meteoric rise to fame

2

: of, relating to, or derived from the earth's atmosphere

meteoric water

meteorically

ˌmē-tē-ˈȯr-i-k(ə-)lē 

-ˈär-

adverb

Examples of meteoric in a Sentence

a meteoric rise to fame

Recent Examples on the Web

What initially felt like a meteoric rise tapered off into a slow burn. —Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2026

Conceived and directed by Tony winner Alex Timbers, Just in Time explores Darin's meteoric rise to fame from teen idol to global star, and all the turbulence that came with it. —Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026

Spaeny and Melton, who are both speedy up-and-comers in Hollywood, are endearing and talented; their performances here provide ample evidence for their meteoric rise. —Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026

Discover the story of Famous Eddie, a fashion icon responsible for the meteoric rise of culture-defining grillz. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for meteoric

• caloric
• dysphoric
• euphoric
• folkloric
• historic
• plethoric
• pyloric
• anaphoric
• metaphoric
• paregoric
• prehistoric
• pyrophoric

Kids Definition

meteoric

adjective

me·​te·​or·​ic ˌmēt-ē-ˈȯr-ik 

-ˈär-

1

: of or relating to a meteor

a meteoric shower

2

: resembling a meteor in speed or in sudden and temporary brilliance

a meteoric rise to fame

meteorically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb