firebrand
Americannoun
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a piece of burning wood or other material.
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a person who kindles strife or encourages unrest; an agitator; troublemaker.
noun
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a piece of burning or glowing wood or other material
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a person who causes unrest or is very energetic
Etymology
Origin of firebrand
Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; see origin at fire, brand
Explanation
When someone is known for being wildly devoted to a cause or idea, they're called a firebrand. A firebrand enjoys pushing buttons and stirring up passions. Firebrand isn't such a tough word to remember if you think of that person's "brand" being "fiery." Someone who enjoys heating up the debate around a subject or lighting a fire under other people is a firebrand. "Fire" is their "brand." Firebrands come in all shapes and sizes: conservative, liberal, militant, creative. Anyone who takes a strong, provocative stance and challenges people with heated rhetoric might be labeled a firebrand. All it takes is guts and a willingness to stir things up.
Vocabulary lists containing firebrand
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "F"
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"Black Ships Before Troy," Vocabulary from the myth
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The former prime minister, who is also the firebrand leader of the Pastef party, was at the top of its list in 2024's legislative elections.
From BBC • May 25, 2026
A Colombia-born businessman, Saab had become close to Venezuela's government in the final years of leftist firebrand Hugo Chavez's 1999-2013 presidency and then managed a vast import network for Maduro's administration.
From Barron's • May 17, 2026
Realizing he’d be unable to direct his fictionalized childhood remembrance, he entrusted it to his mentee Akin, the firebrand behind modern German classics such as “Head-On” and “In the Fade.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026
Even Wall Street Journal editor-at-large Gerard Baker, hardly a left-wing firebrand, quipped that the address was so full of fictions he was beginning to doubt whether the USA men’s hockey team actually won gold.
From Salon • Feb. 25, 2026
She was the eldest child of the Reverend Jesse Jackson, the firebrand Baptist preacher and increasingly powerful political leader.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
