bonfire

noun

Definition of bonfirenext
as in campfire
a large outdoor fire

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bonfire The bonfires are the centerpiece of the loyalist calendar, underlining an identity built on being British. — Kara Fox, CNN Money, 10 July 2026 The staff invited us to step off the train and sip champagne or hot chocolate around a blazing bonfire. — Justin Meneguzzi, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026 There is also plenty of pomp, along with bells, bonfires, and illuminations. — Sheldon Pearce, New Yorker, 3 July 2026 Shacks, of which there were nine along the peninsula, would compete to outdo each other, lighting bonfires on the beach, supplying endless kegs, and inviting live bands. — Curbed Editors, Curbed, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for bonfire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bonfire
  1. campfire
  2. wildfire
  3. forest fire
Noun
  • Later that night, at a circle-round-the-campfire discussion on the essence of Vibecamp, people will try to put their finger on the elusive magic of the scene.
    — Nick H. Penniman, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2026
  • Humans and animals also glow in infrared, and most of the energy released by a campfire is infrared radiation.
    — Vahe Peroomian, The Conversation, 13 July 2026
Definition of campfire
Noun
  • Many millions of Americans and Canadians are breathing bad air right now due to smoke from hundreds of Canadian wildfires and additional wildfires in northern Minnesota.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
  • Today, more than 800 wildfires are burning in Canada, according to the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 17 July 2026
Definition of wildfire
Noun
  • Similarly, a major firefighting operation was underway in southwest Germany near the village of Traisen, where the heat sparked a forest fire in an area that also contained unexploded ordnance.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 June 2026
  • This Anglican example near Beaufort, South Carolina, was built in the 1740s, but was largely destroyed by a forest fire in 1886.
    — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 17 June 2026
Definition of forest fire

Browse Nearby Words

boneyards
bonfire
bonfires
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bonfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bonfire. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on bonfire

Nglish: Translation of bonfire for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dog days

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
thumbnail graphic with text word of the day quiz
Weekly "Word of the Day" Quiz See how well you know each Word of the Day for Ju...
See All