meteoric

adjective

me·​te·​or·​ic ˌmē-tē-ˈȯr-ik How to pronounce meteoric (audio)
-ˈär-
Synonyms of meteoricnext
1
a
: of or relating to a meteor
b
: resembling a meteor in speed or in sudden and temporary brilliance
a meteoric rise to fame
2
: of, relating to, or derived from the earth's atmosphere
meteoric water
meteorically
ˌmē-tē-ˈȯr-i-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce meteoric (audio)
-ˈär-
adverb

Examples of meteoric in a Sentence

a meteoric rise to fame
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As traffic on the road has increased with that meteoric rise, the problem has only grown more pressing. — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026 Learn more about Turnstile’s meteoric rise in Lawrence Burney’s cover story Turnstile Blew Up. — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 8 Oct. 2026 Matvei Gridin, Calgary Flames Gridin’s meteoric rise was one of the best stories for the Flames last season. — Harman Dayal, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026 The latest tournament continues a meteoric rise for Sivanandan, who became the youngest female player to defeat a grandmaster in August 2025. — Jack Guy, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for meteoric

Word History

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of meteoric was in 1785

Rhymes for meteoric

See All Rhymes for meteoric

Browse Nearby Words

meteor echo
meteoric
meteoric iron
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Meteoric.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meteoric. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

meteoric

adjective
me·​te·​or·​ic ˌmēt-ē-ˈȯr-ik How to pronounce meteoric (audio)
-ˈär-
1
: of or relating to a meteor
a meteoric shower
2
: resembling a meteor in speed or in sudden and temporary brilliance
a meteoric rise to fame
meteorically
-i-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce meteoric (audio)
adverb

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