WordGarden.iofiery
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /fˈaɪəri/
US
- /ˈfaɪəri/
Meanings
Adjective
burning, glowing, or intensely hot like fire
full of intense passion, anger, or energy
bright red, orange, or flame-colored
More meaningsFewer meanings
very spicy or hot-tasting
Beyond the definition
"Fiery" does not always mean real flames. It often describes something that feels full of heat, power, or strong emotion. A fiery speech can be full of passion, and a fiery temper can rise very quickly. The word is also used for things that look like fire, such as bright red or orange hair, a glowing sunset, or food with a strong, hot taste.
In everyday English, it usually suggests energy, boldness, and intensity. Depending on the context, it can sound positive, negative, or both at once.
The word "fiery" begins with the image of fire, so it can describe something that is literally burning, blazing, or extremely hot. You might read about a fiery crash, a fiery mountain, or flames rising from a fiery wreck.
But in real use, the word often goes beyond actual fire. It is very common for strong feelings, forceful behavior, or powerful style. A fiery argument is heated and intense. A fiery speech is full of emotion and energy. A fiery person may be brave and lively, but also quick to anger. In this sense, the word often suggests both strength and danger at the same time.
"Fiery" is also used for appearance and color. It can describe bright red, orange, or glowing shades, as in fiery hair, fiery eyes, or a fiery sunset. It can even describe taste, especially food that feels very hot and spicy. Across these uses, the idea stays similar: something fiery feels vivid, powerful, hot, or hard to ignore.
Examples
- 1
Sunset color
The sky turned fiery orange as the sun went down.
- 2
Spicy food
Be careful with that sauce; it's really fiery.
- 3
Temper
He's talented, but his fiery temper gets him into trouble.
- Phrasefiery temper
a tendency to get angry quickly
- 4
Public speech
She gave a fiery speech against the new policy.
- Phrasea fiery speech
a strong, emotional, and often angry speech
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Heated meeting
The meeting became more and more fiery as people started blaming each other.
See also
Similar
- passionate
- ardent
- impassioned
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Do not confuse
- firey
Used with (collocations)
- fiery speech
- fiery temper
- fiery debate
- fiery rhetoric
Word family
- fire
- fieriness
Explore
- emotional intensity
- zeal
Forms and spellings
3 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- fieryadjective
Forms
- fieriercomparativeadjective
- fieriestsuperlativeadjective