firebrand
noun
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The original firebrands were incendiary indeed; they were pieces of wood set burning at the fire, perhaps for use as a light or a weapon. English speakers started brandishing those literal firebrands as long ago as the 13th century. (Robinson Crusoe held one high as he rushed into a cave on his deserted island and saw by the light of the firebrand . . . lying on the ground a monstrous, frightful old he-goat.) But the burning embers of the wooden firebrand quickly sparked figurative uses for the term, too. By the early 14th century, firebrand was also being used for one doomed to burn in hell, and by 1382, English writers were using it for anyone who kindled mischief or inflamed passions.
Synonyms
Examples of firebrand in a Sentence
Kevin McCarthy, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2024
Conservative firebrand Candace Owens has left the news outlet The Daily Wire after a war of words with the founder of the news brand, fellow far-right figure Ben Shapiro, which began shortly after the outset of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
—Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Mar. 2024
The hard-right firebrand Suella Braverman, a former minister with two Tory governments, was a director of the Michaela school.
—Emma Bubola, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024
Read More: Tech Companies Turned Ukraine Into an AI War Lab
Carlson, a conservative firebrand and Donald Trump supporter, has used his media platform to question U.S. support for Ukraine and defend the Kremlin.
—Bloomberg News, TIME, 9 Feb. 2024
Weeks of negotiations to form a new ruling majority coalition in the Netherlands led by anti-Islam firebrand Geert Wilders appeared to end fruitlessly Tuesday as one of the four party leaders involved in the talks walked out without an agreement.
—Mike Corder, Quartz, 6 Feb. 2024
The 49-year-old firebrand opposition leader has faced many legal woes since 2021.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024
The event drew in about 10,000 people in 2022 and included speakers Eric and Donald Trump Jr.
Republican firebrand Eric Deters hosts the event from his Morning View farm, about 20 miles south of Cincinnati.
Deters, an enthusiastic Donald Trump supporter, had to cancel the event last year.
—Jolene Almendarez, The Courier-Journal, 16 Mar. 2024
That mission begins with her rhetoric, which has a captivating directness that echoes the hard stentorian slap of Malcolm X’s firebrand bravado.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 16 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'firebrand.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Firebrand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/firebrand. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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firebrand
noun
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