meteoric

[ mee-tee-awr-ik, -or- ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or consisting of meteors.
2. resembling a meteor in transient brilliance, suddenness of appearance, swiftness, etc.:

   his meteoric rise in politics.

3. of or coming from the atmosphere; meteorological.

meteoric

/ ˌmiːtɪˈɒrɪk /

adjective

1. of, formed by, or relating to meteors
2. like a meteor in brilliance, speed, or transience
3. rare.
   of or relating to the weather; meteorological

Derived Forms

• ˌmeteˈorically, adverb

Other Words From

• mete·ori·cal·ly adverb
• nonme·te·oric adjective
• nonme·te·ori·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of meteoric¹

From the Medieval Latin word meteōricus, dating back to 1625–35. See meteor, -ic

Example Sentences

In the next two years, Thiel’s Roth reached new heights, reflecting Facebook’s meteoric rise.

From ProPublica

It would have been nearly impossible for anyone to sustain such meteoric highs.

From Time

With the meteoric ascendance of the knowledge economy, colleges and universities have become financial titans in urban centers.

From Time

More important, after one of the most meteoric rises in culinary history, and before the coronavirus pandemic shattered the restaurant industry, Skenes plotted a change in direction.

From Outside Online

Ahead of the North American release of Mugen Train, here’s everything to know about Demon Slayer, the author-illustrator behind it and the meteoric success of the manga, television series and film.

From Time

The officer who served with Pounding said that when he first met him, “he was well-respected and he was on a meteoric rise.”

From The Daily Beast

Fueled by atrocity and a blitzkrieg of gains in Iraq and Syria, the Islamic State has enjoyed a meteoric climb to notoriety.

From The Daily Beast

But don't be fooled by the brash on-the-street demeanor and meteoric rise in popularity.

From The Daily Beast

Despite the criticism, Tesla has continued its meteoric rise.

From The Daily Beast

The establishment and meteoric rise of Shas in Israeli politics came largely in response to this reality.

From The Daily Beast

There was not one of us who did not consider this meteoric display prophetic.

From Project Gutenberg

Perhaps she stood too near him, perhaps she was too young to draw the lesson that we of to-day draw from his meteoric career.

From Project Gutenberg

Meteoric stones have generally a broken, irregular surface, coated with a thin black crust, like varnish.

From Project Gutenberg

Another enormous mass of meteoric iron was found in South America, about the year 1788.

From Project Gutenberg

Meteoric stones have fallen in all climates, in every part of the earth, at all seasons, in the night and in the day.

From Project Gutenberg