firecracker

American  

[fahyuhr-krak-er] / ˈfaɪərˌkræk ər /

noun

1. a paper or cardboard cylinder filled with an explosive and having a fuse, for discharging to make a noise, as during a celebration.

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firecracker British  

/ ˈfaɪəˌkrækə /

noun

1. a small cardboard container filled with explosive powder and lit by a fuse

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adjective

1. impressively energetic

   a firecracker start to the race

Etymology

Origin of firecracker

An Americanism dating back to 1820–30; fire + cracker

Example Sentences

A rare moment of high drama flares when a pregnant woman, Agata, played with firecracker fierceness by Anna Chlumsky, barrels down the basement stairs to accost Renia.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

"Spencer was a firecracker, that's the best way to put it," Mitrofanov added.

From BBC • Jan. 31, 2025

She was a small-framed, firecracker of a woman, and no matter who is telling us about her, the fact that she outlived three husbands is always included.

From Salon • Jan. 16, 2025

Mallen Kupferer is also a discovery, a firecracker who also conveys more nuanced teenage attitude, her Daisy bossing her repressed dad around, demanding he meet her on her level of explosive emotion.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 14, 2024

In other years on New Year’s morning the streets would be littered with shreds of colored firecracker paper.

From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang