adjective
-
of, formed by, or relating to meteors
-
like a meteor in brilliance, speed, or transience
-
rare of or relating to the weather; meteorological
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of meteoric
From the Medieval Latin word meteōricus, dating back to 1625–35. See meteor, -ic
Explanation
Because meteors move through the sky so quickly, we often refer to something moving very fast as meteoric. A newly-popular singer might be said to experience a meteoric rise to the top. (The fall can be meteoric, too.) The "-ic" suffix on a word creates an adjective meaning "with the characteristics of." So meteoric means “having the characteristics of a meteor.” Both words take their origin from the Greek meteōros, meaning "high up." By the way, a shooting star is meteoric, being a meteor that is burning up as it plunges through the earth's atmosphere.
Vocabulary lists containing meteoric
A Need for Speed: Synonyms for "Fast"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
If I Stay
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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 two young admirals, many assert, enjoyed meteoric career rises thanks to family patronage: They are nephews of a former secretary of the navy, José Rafael Ojeda Durán.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
The global race to build data centres hosting AI infrastructure has seen a meteoric rise in the firm's fortunes, despite concern the sector may be overvalued in a market bubble.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
That was largely because foreign investors have been rebalancing their portfolios and unloading South Korean equities following the local stock market’s meteoric gains this year, analysts said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Jacob had a meteoric climb from being an unranked university student in 2024 to the world's top 50 a year later - but he has recently hit a plateau.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
Malcolm’s meteoric eruption on the national scene brought him into wider contact with white men who were not the “devils” he had thought they were.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
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.
