English Explanatory Dictionary

fireball

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A ball of fire, especially one associated with an explosion, or (fiction, mythology) thrown as a weapon.
  2. A feisty, strong-willed person.
  3. Synonym of fastball (“a high-speed pitch of a baseball”).
  4. A bright glow caused by a spacecraft re-entering an atmosphere.
  5. A meteor bright enough to cast shadows; a bolide.
  6. A class of sailing dinghy with a single trapeze and a symmetrical spinnaker, sailed by a crew of two.
  7. A bag or ball filled with combustible material which is thrown as a weapon or to set something alight.
  8. A charge depicting a disc-shaped bombshell with flames emitted from the top, or sometimes from the top, bottom, and on either side.
  9. An emanation of St. Elmo's fire; also (later), of ball lightning.
  10. A ball-shaped firelighter (“small block of a flammable substance, typically a combination of sawdust and wax, used to light fires”).
  11. A ball of heat-resistant material placed in a fire to slow down the burning of the fuel.
  12. A statement intended to cause dissension or as a provocation.
adj
  1. Excellent, terrific.
verb
  1. To attack (someone or something) with balls of fire.
  2. To explode in a ball of fire or flame.
  3. To emerge suddenly; to explode.
  4. To pitch a baseball very fast.

Pronunciation

/ˈfaɪəbɔːl/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-fireball.wav /ˈfaɪəɹˌbɔl/ /-ɑl/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Wodencafe-fireball.wav

Word forms

fireball fireballs fireballing fireballed

Etymology

The noun is derived from fire (noun) + ball (noun). The adjective and verb are derived from the noun.

Synonyms

fastball bolis ace admirable amazing awe-inspiring awesome badass bang on bang-up studly based beatific beneship bitching blissful bomb brilliant bully celestial cher choice chronic chur cock on commendable cool copacetic crackerjack cushty dank def delightful divine dope epic excellent exceptional exemplary exquisite extraordinary fab fabulous fantabulosa fantastic fierce finger-lickin' good fire fireball first-rate fly frabjous glorious gnarly goated great grouse heavenlike heavenly immaculate

Antonyms

abysmal atrocious awful bad chronic coarse corny crap crapalicious crappy crummy deityforsaken dire disagreeable dismal dogshit dreadful fifth-rate foul fourth-rate godawful hellish hideous hopeless horrendous horrid horrible horrific inadequate incompetent inelegant intolerable inferior lackluster loathsome lousy miserable naff negative odious ordinary pathetic peak piss-poor rotten rubbish shitawful shitty sixth-rate sloppy subpar terrible unfavorable wack

Related words

ball of fire

Derived words

Earth-grazing fireball fireballer fireballing

Translations

Finnish: tulipallo
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