barnburner

American  

[bahrn-bur-ner] / ˈbɑrnˌbɜr nər /

noun

1. Informal. something that is highly exciting, impressive, etc..

   The All Stars game was a real barnburner.

2. Chiefly Pennsylvania. a wooden friction match.

3. (initial capital letter) a member of the progressive faction in the Democratic Party in New York State 1845–52.

---

Usage

What does barnburner mean? A barnburner is something that is especially exciting, thrilling, or impressive. It’s most commonly applied to sports games.Barnburner is a sports cliché. It’s especially used to refer to matchups that are consistently exciting throughout the entire game and then go down to wire, which is another sports cliché that means that they’re not decided until the very end of the game.Example: Did you catch that triple-overtime game last night? What a barnburner!

Etymology

Origin of barnburner

1835–45, barn ¹ + burner; barnburner ( def. 3 ) so called with reference to burning down a barn to get rid of rats

Example Sentences

The vice president's first ad after taking over at the top of the Democratic ticket was soundtracked by Beyoncé's 2016 barnburner "Freedom."

From Salon • Oct. 26, 2024

Lulu also gets the show’s best song, a barnburner of a feminist anthem called “Independently Owned.”

From New York Times • Apr. 4, 2023

On Saturday, the neighborhood kids beat Laguna Beach, a Southern Section program that’s recorded 38 passing touchdowns on the year, in a 56-55 barnburner for the CIF Division 4-A regional title.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 5, 2022

The Seahawks-Lions game was a barnburner, as both teams combined for 94 points and over 1,000 yards of total offense!

From Seattle Times • Oct. 5, 2022

Although the movie wasn’t a barnburner in theaters, it has proved to be a outsized performer, first on Netflix and now on Disney Plus.

From Washington Post • May 5, 2021