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

And that’s from an acclaimed Oscar nominee who has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the past few years despite not looking like a matinee idol. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026

The 23-year-old full-back, who was playing in the fifth tier of German football three years ago, has enjoyed a meteoric rise. — Tom Burrows, New York Times, 12 July 2026

Geisel is one such figure, a man with a meteoric rise who revolutionized children’s literature and danced across many sides of political controversy. — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 11 July 2026

Scott’s meteoric career has been marked by enormous success as well as tragedy and controversy. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for meteoric

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

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