bonfire
Americannoun
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a large fire built in the open air, for warmth, entertainment, or celebration, to burn leaves, garbage, etc., or as a signal.
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any fire built in the open.
noun
Etymology
Origin of bonfire
1375–1425; late Middle English bone fire, i.e., a fire with bones for fuel
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.
And not just because one of the leading contestants torched himself and his political livelihood in a bonfire of hubris and stupidity.
From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026
With all that said, a bonfire composed of burning laptops is a good summation of 2026’s current flavor of anxiety.
From Slate • Feb. 8, 2026
“If this all were to end up in a bonfire of inflation, that would be a complete disaster. But this is not our view,” said Dirk Schumacher, chief economist at KfW.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 25, 2025
This year a bonfire in south Belfast caused concern because of the presence of asbestos on the site, and the fact it was close to an electricity substation which supplies power to two nearby hospitals.
From BBC • Jul. 12, 2025
The bonfire will provide him with a connection to the circus, even though he is not entirely certain how well it will work.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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.
