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Synonyms

ball of fire

American  

noun

  1. a dynamic person capable of or displaying rapid and highly effective thought, action, etc..

    The new manager turned out to be a ball of fire.


ball of fire British  

noun

  1. informal a very lively person

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ball of fire Idioms  
  1. A dynamic, energetic, and successful individual, as in I hope Pat joins us; she's a real ball of fire. [Slang; early 1800s]


Etymology

Origin of ball of fire

First recorded in 1815–25

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.

See Examples For:

The selloff came after a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded on its launchpad in Cape Canaveral, Fla., sending a ball of fire into the sky.

From Barron's ● May 29, 2026

A rocket being tested by Jeff Bezos’ space company exploded Thursday night, sending an enormous ball of fire into the sky.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026

We also didn’t want to wait too long, get stuck in traffic, and abandon our Mazda on the side of the road as we had to outrun a ball of fire on foot.

From Slate ● Jan. 9, 2025

He has also pledged to clean up politics and hinted at legal reforms, promising to take to the task "like a ball of fire".

From BBC ● Dec. 22, 2023

Below, and far to the right, closer to the boathouse, three boys stood on the rocks at the foot of the bluff, one of them holding what looked like a ball of fire.

From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely

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