noun

• 1A ball of flame or fire.

  ‘a crashed petrol tanker exploded in a fireball’

  More example sentences

  • ‘It tore into the glass and metal, leaving a second gaping hole several storeys high from which a fireball of smoke and flame erupted.’
  • ‘Giant fireballs and trails of fire accompany the performers in the energetic and dramatic display.’
  • ‘At this point my engine exploded followed by a large fireball, with the fire spreading to the adjacent water.’
  • ‘Within five seconds, the winery erupts into a fireball as flames lick the sky and the crashing explosion sends debris hurtling everywhere.’
  • ‘By day, eight stainless steel towers double as giant columns of waterfall, but on the hour, after dark, they explode into gas fireballs amid gasps from astonished onlookers.’
  • ‘She watched as the firecrackers rained down from the planes overhead and exploded into fireballs.’
  • ‘People came rushing out of their houses when a car parked on the roadside exploded in a fireball which severely damaged another vehicle parked nearby.’
  • ‘She was entering the lobby when a fireball exploded from the elevator shaft.’
  • ‘The jet was carrying a full payload of fuel for its flight, scheduled to last about five hours, and it exploded into a fireball which engulfed 12 houses within seconds.’
  • ‘But when Dev arrives at his shop it explodes in a fireball, which sends him flying across the road, leaving him battered and bruised.’
  • ‘A state-owned commuter bus explodes in a giant fireball and thunderclap, bringing down a building near the shore of the Thames River.’
  • ‘A motorcross champion was killed when his speeding car exploded into a fireball after crashing into a lamppost on a waterlogged road.’
  • ‘Spectators at the 2001 show watched in horror as a Second World War King Cobra exploded in a massive fireball, killing the pilot.’
  • ‘A driver died when his tanker plunged 60 ft from a motorway bridge and exploded into a massive fireball.’
  • ‘Those marines were in a lightly armoured vehicle when it hit the bomb, flipped into the air and exploded in a fireball.’
  • ‘A teenager dragged from a blazing car just seconds before it exploded in a fireball was reunited today with the man who saved his life.’
  • ‘The city was too dangerous, they thought, as loud explosions and fireballs lit up the skyline at night.’
  • ‘Sporadic gunfire echoed from the east, followed by a thunderous explosion that spewed a fireball into the air, about three blocks from the group.’
  • ‘Just before he hit forward on the flight deck, I dove head-first into an open hatchway to avoid the fireball and explosion.’
  • ‘There was a huge explosion and the fireball burned fiercely as the tanker's load of fuel ignited.’
  • ‘Minutes later, there was another explosion and a fireball engulfed the building.’

  Synonyms

  energetic person

  1. 1.1A large bright meteor.
     ‘Past displays have featured a richness of both fireballs and faint meteors but have included fewer objects of medium brightness.’
     More example sentences

     • ‘Circles are the subject matter of her new work and she uses them to explore her fascination with planets, moons, suns, fireballs and comets.’
     • ‘On this day, local residents observed a huge fireball, almost as bright as the Sun, moving across the sky.’
     • ‘Viewers should be able to see 100 or so meteors per hour, some of them fireballs.’
     • ‘Does the cosmic tug and pull of these far-off fireballs (and our more neighborly planets) help shape our lives from birth?’
  2. 1.2historical A ball filled with combustibles or explosives, fired at an enemy or enemy fortifications.
     ‘Catapults pelting fireballs were used with little effect.’
     More example sentences

     • ‘The sky was black as midnight, lit only by glowing sparks, firebrands and fireballs shooting into the air.’
     • ‘In the olden days, the ships shot fireballs.’
     • ‘They were destroyed with the help of gunpowder, canons, and fireballs.’
     • ‘The fortified city was battered by fireballs from the Brits' three camps along the river.’
  3. 1.3A person with a fiery temper or a great deal of energy.
     ‘At 81 years of age, he remains a fireball of creative energy.’
     More example sentences

     • ‘She has her Dad's temper and as her older brother, Mason, will attest, she can be a fireball.’
     • ‘He's a real fireball too; I like the feistiness.’
     • ‘Sometimes I'm a fireball of enthusiasm and inspiration.’
     • ‘Maria is a total fireball, completely irrational, and speaks a mile a minute.’
     Synonyms

     worker, organizer, activist, man of action, achiever, high achiever, succeeder, hustler, entrepreneur