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.
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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
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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.
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highly flammable.
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containing highly flammable gas.
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adjective
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of, containing, or composed of fire
-
resembling fire in heat, colour, ardour, etc
a fiery desert wind
a fiery speaker
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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
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(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.
The first occurred on July 4, 1826, when the last members of a generation of fiery patriots lay on their deathbeds.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
Morgan might overdo Fiona’s fiery streak when she sings “Waitin’ For My Dearie,” but the driving impulse is to bring the musical’s out-of-time female characters into the 21st century.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026
But a narrative throughline hellbent on retribution neatly threads Harris’ fiery aesthetic choices together, giving “Is God Is” far more substance — and much more thematic intrigue — than its contemporaries.
From Salon • May 19, 2026
Having sparked frequent confrontations and fiery rhetoric during the campaign, they may have a similarly explosive impact on the new term of parliament.
From BBC • May 8, 2026
It had a fiery mountain with green rain forest on the high slopes and grasslands at the bottom.
From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr
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.
