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

WeWork, a coworking startup founded in New York, saw a meteoric rise in the late 2010s. —Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 14 Mar. 2026

Nvidia’s dominance in training fueled its meteoric ascent in recent years. —Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2026

Some folks suggested Utah, which was a hoops powerhouse under the late Rick Majerus before Urban Meyer launched the Utes’ meteoric rise in football. —Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026

Crockett has enjoyed a meteoric rise in recent years, moving quickly from a state legislative seat to Congress. —Joseph Morton, Dallas Morning News, 4 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for meteoric

• anaphoric
• metaphoric
• paregoric
• prehistoric
• pyrophoric
• boric
• chloric
• doric
• toric
• caloric
• dysphoric
• euphoric

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