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

Holmes experienced a meteoric rise in the early 2010s with the initial success of her company, Theranos, which claimed its medical device could detect diseases from a few drops of blood at a fraction of the price. —Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026

And momentum from regular investors is becoming a strong force in gold’s meteoric rise. —John Towfighi, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026

Based on interviews with the former FC Barcelona star and particularly his brother-manager Roberto de Assis, the series traces their meteoric rise and dramatic fall—from their beginnings in Porto Alegre, Brazil to prison in Paraguay. —Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026

After hovering around the $10 billion mark for years, ICE's budget suddenly benefited from a meteoric spike. —Bill Chappell, NPR, 21 Jan. 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