adjective
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of, formed by, or relating to meteors
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like a meteor in brilliance, speed, or transience
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rare of or relating to the weather; meteorological
Other Word Forms
- meteorically adverb
- nonmeteoric adjective
- nonmeteorically adverb
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"
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If I Stay
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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.
There is also the meteoric rise of Raúl Castro’s grandnephew Oscar Pérez-Oliva.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
The enterprise market has emerged as a key battleground for dominance among leading AI companies, as Anthropic wowed the market with its meteoric revenue growth in the first few months of 2026.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026
The Brazilian star, who is experiencing a meteoric rise in her career, maintained that music is what guides her.
From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026
The feature-length documentary will give "unprecedented access" to Duffy, looking back at her childhood, meteoric rise to fame, the attack and aftermath.
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026
It would all happen like the brass sections in the Ruizes’ best rumbas, a meteoric cartoon explosion, with no blood or pain.
From "Krik? Krak!" by Edwidge Danticat
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.
