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

Unlike traditional developments where fire mitigation is often added later, Stone Canyon was designed from the ground up to reduce wildfire risk. —Conor McGill, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026

When a deadly epidemic and threatening wildfire spread chaos, Jacob – serving as sheriff, undertaker, and pastor – must fight to save his town, his family, and his soul. —Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2026

The article states that bills will go up an average of $5 a month after the CPUC OK’d wildfire spending. —U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026

Other areas include decarbonizing cement, steel and chemicals, as well as disaster-resilient housing, wildfire mitigation, ecosystem restoration and sustainable farming. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing 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