noun
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the process of baking ceramics, etc, in a kiln or furnace
a second firing
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the act of stoking a fire or furnace
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a discharge of a firearm
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something used as fuel, such as coal or wood
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a scorching of plants, as a result of disease, drought, or heat
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of firing
late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at fire, -ing 1
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:
Dorfman pulled the mini trigger, firing water all over someone’s tie.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Davis also said he was "concerned" about the director general's comments on firing more people.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
The one silver lining is that businesses aren’t firing many people, either: Layoffs are near a record low, and show no sign of rising.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
The firing, announced in a three-paragraph statement, comes less than 24 hours after Saturday’s 1-0 loss to FC Dallas dropped the team to sixth in the Western Conference table.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
Americans turned on their televisions and saw American diplomats firing guns out the windows of the embassy.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
The firings come as the debate over AI safety and the risks the technology may pose to humanity has intensified in recent weeks.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Longtime correspondent Scott Pelley was ousted after he angrily questioned the firings at a staff meeting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
PIPs often foreshadow inevitable firings, but she refused to give up on someone in her charge.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Because commissions are small—often three to five members—a well-timed pair of firings can leave a group without the number of members it needs to act.
From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026
“Now, with the firings of seven principals, three secretaries and thirty-four teachers, including my own husband, I realize it is no longer enough for me to think these things. I need to say them.”
From "The Lions of Little Rock" by Kristin Levine
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.
