wildfire

noun

wild·​fire ˈwī(-ə)ld-ˌfī(-ə)r How to pronounce wildfire (audio)
Synonyms of wildfirenext
1
: a sweeping and destructive conflagration especially in a wilderness or a rural area
2
: greek fire
3
: a phosphorescent glow (such as ignis fatuus or fox fire)
4
: a destructive leaf-spot disease of tobacco caused by several strains of a bacterium (Pseudomonas syringae)
see also:
like wildfire

Examples of wildfire in a Sentence

The recent wildfires were made worse by the strong winds.
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.
In recent years, Canyon has searched for people amid wildfire ash, along steep muddy banks after floods, and beneath homes destroyed by tornadoes. — Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2026 Firefighters were making progress Sunday evening on a fast-moving wildfire burning near homes in the outskirts of Santa Clarita. — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026 Some of the images have a vintage glory; others reveal the wounds of a city where homelessness is on the rise and wildfire season is practically a year-round affair. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026 Smoke from wildfires disrupted daily life in Brazil's largest Amazon region city of Manaus on Friday as the country's dry season approached its peak. — ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wildfire

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wildfire was in the 12th century

Phrases Containing wildfire

Rhymes for wildfire

See All Rhymes for wildfire

Browse Nearby Words

wild fig
wildfire
wild flag
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

wildfire

noun
wild·​fire ˈwī(ə)l(d)-ˌfī(ə)r How to pronounce wildfire (audio)
: an uncontrollable fire that destroys a wide area

More from Merriam-Webster on wildfire

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for wildfire

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wildfire

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of deportment

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All