fiery
Americanadjective
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consisting of, attended with, characterized by, or containing fire.
a volcano's fiery discharge.
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intensely hot.
fiery desert sands.
-
like or suggestive of fire.
a fiery red; angry, fiery eyes.
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intensely ardent, impetuous, or passionate.
fiery courage; a fiery speech.
- Synonyms:
- impassioned, spirited, vehement, fervent
- Antonyms:
- dispassionate, cold, cool
-
easily angered or provoked.
a fiery temper.
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causing a burning sensation, as certain liquors or condiments.
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inflamed, as a tumor or sore.
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Mining: Older Use.
-
highly flammable.
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containing highly flammable gas.
-
adjective
-
of, containing, or composed of fire
-
resembling fire in heat, colour, ardour, etc
a fiery desert wind
a fiery speaker
-
easily angered or aroused
a fiery temper
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(of food) producing a burning sensation
a fiery curry
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(of the skin or a sore) inflamed
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flammable or containing flammable gas
-
(of a cricket pitch) making the ball bounce dangerously high
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fiery
First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English fiery, fury, fery; see fire, -y 1
Explanation
When something is very hot or intense, it's fiery. Fiery can describe a literal blaze, a hot chili pepper, or even a fiery temper. Any time there's fire, you have a fiery situation. This word applies to a lot more than flames, though. If you lose your temper easily, you may be called hot-headed or fiery. An intense argument — with two people yelling and carrying on — could be called fiery. Any kind of intense emotion or passion is fiery. If you're a cool customer, you're not very fiery. Also, you could say that hot Indian curry or spicy chicken wings are fiery.
Vocabulary lists containing fiery
100 Great Words from "Fahrenheit 451" -- Part I Vocabulary
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"The Drummer Boy of Shiloh"
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Beowulf vocabulary
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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.
See Examples For:
Panettiere’s Sheryl makes an impression right away, with a fiery speech directed at an official who comes to tell Yoast that Boone will now be head football coach of T.C.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
TikTok and Instagram are awash with videos of foreigners trying the fiery snacks.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
These records feature the fiery jazz-and-blues-infused fiddle playing of Scott Stoneman, a fellow wild seed and veteran of the D.C. bust-heads.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
He was a passionate, fiery character and a wonderful father.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
As I turned it, a fiery hot shriek split the serenity at Snowberger’s, as if touching the doorknob had set off an alarm.
From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles
On another side of town, and in another fictional world, sketch-comedy group The Habit tries on a fierier stage adaptation with a much higher body count: the 1988 Christmas Eve action-thriller “Die Hard.”
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 12, 2019
With the help of a public speaking coach, he returned to the debates as a decidedly fierier presence.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 21, 2016
He was fierier than most Plowshares activists, a believer in miracles and prophecy, a bold “warrior for peace,” like Philip Berrigan.
From The New Yorker ● Feb. 28, 2015
While Mr. Boreyko led the orchestra in brisk, burnished readings — the brasses, not always the Philharmonic’s rock, were particularly strong — the final Allegro of the Dvorak could have been fierier.
From New York Times ● Nov. 25, 2012
He commenced playing; a blissful smile illuminated his features; he lifted his radiant eyes to heaven, and his music grew louder and fierier, and his fingers glided more powerfully over the keys of the piano.
From Andreas Hofer by L. (Luise) Mühlbach
Portraying Franklin - one of the last century's fieriest singers - is a daunting task, but although Hudson has a powerful voice, she can't come close to embodying the richness and range of Franklin's style.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2021
The fieriest eulogy came from Hammock, who acknowledged that although Trinity's murder had brought people of all faiths together, he realized many would leave wondering why it had happened.
From Fox News ● Mar. 25, 2019
Having been trialled for 10 minutes at Southampton last week, it’s getting a full baptism of the fieriest fire today.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 19, 2017
Todd Stottlemyre, known as one of the fieriest pitchers of his era, won 138 games in the majors from 1988 to 2002.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 17, 2016
Acres of closely shaven lawns, dotted with flowering shrubs of the brightest reds, deepest purples, and fieriest solferinos, beds of rich-hued foliage plants, and cool, green masses of ferns meet your eye.
From Tales of the Malayan Coast From Penang to the Philippines by Rounsevelle Wildman
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.
