wildfire

noun

wild·​fire ˈwī(-ə)ld-ˌfī(-ə)r 

1

: a sweeping and destructive conflagration especially in a wilderness or a rural area

2

: greek fire

3

: a phosphorescent glow (such as ignis fatuus or fox fire)

4

: a destructive leaf-spot disease of tobacco caused by several strains of a bacterium (Pseudomonas syringae)

see also:

like wildfire

Examples of wildfire in a Sentence

The recent wildfires were made worse by the strong winds.

Recent Examples on the Web

The state’s insurer of last resort, known as the FAIR Plan, has ballooned in size since 2019, after a series of devastating wildfires and escalating reinsurance costs led to mass cancellations of insurance policies across the state. — Paige St. John, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026

This summer, when wildfires erupted in Spain, France, and other parts of Europe, experts cited land abandonment as a factor. — Ingfei Chen, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026

Nearly 1,600 personnel are assigned to the wildfire, along with more than 100 engines, 18 helicopters and 11 air tankers, according to Cal Fire. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Harris spoke about Parton’s impact beyond music, which included opening Dollywood, funding research for the COVID-19 vaccine, her Imagination Library, and creating a relief fund for the wildfires that devastated Tennessee a decade before. — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing wildfire

• like wildfire
• spread like wildfire

Rhymes for wildfire

• briar
• brier
• buyer
• choir
• crier
• cryer
• drier
• dryer
• eyer
• flier
• flyer
• friar

Kids Definition

wildfire

noun

wild·​fire ˈwī(ə)l(d)-ˌfī(ə)r 

: an uncontrollable fire that destroys a wide area