barnburner
Americannoun
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Informal. something that is highly exciting, impressive, etc..
The All Stars game was a real barnburner.
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Chiefly Pennsylvania. a wooden friction match.
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(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
Explanation
A barnburner is an exceptionally thrilling and exciting event. For instance, one might say, "The final match of the tournament was a real barnburner, with the audience on the edge of their seats the whole game!" The word barnburner originated in the mid-19th century, referring to a radical political group known for its dramatic methods in pushing for reforms. It was said, humorously, that the Barnburners were willing to burn down the barn to smoke out a few rats. Over time, the term came to describe any event that generates a lot of excitement. Whether it's a thrilling sports game, a heated debate, or a high-energy concert, a barnburner is something that captures attention and leaves a lasting impression.
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.
Royster says Beyoncé has inherited this history by exploring country sounds, as evidenced on the country-zydeco-R&B barnburner “Daddy Lessons” from 2016’s groundbreaking “Lemonade.”
From Seattle Times • Mar. 28, 2024
“Ready For Love” is a regal, devotional folk ballad on record, but when India.Arie puts down her guitar and pulls out her flute for solos in concert, it’s an instant barnburner.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 15, 2023
After a banner year for pop music, Sunday's Grammy award show was quite the barnburner for pop culture discourse.
From Salon • Feb. 8, 2023
For the first half of “Sanctuary City,” Martyna Majok’s emotionally charged barnburner now at Arena Stage, a pair of young immigrants navigate the margins of an unwelcoming America in time-hopping flashes of ambition and disaffection.
From Washington Post • Oct. 28, 2022
New Year’s Eve brings to the stage Giordano’s verismo melodrama, a barnburner tale of love, politics and a poison-filled necklace set in late-19th-century Russia.
From New York Times • Feb. 23, 2022
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.
