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Synonyms

ball of fire

American  

noun

  1. a dynamic person capable of or displaying rapid and highly effective thought, action, etc..

    The new manager turned out to be a ball of fire.


ball of fire British  

noun

  1. informal a very lively person

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ball of fire Idioms  
  1. A dynamic, energetic, and successful individual, as in I hope Pat joins us; she's a real ball of fire. [Slang; early 1800s]


Etymology

Origin of ball of fire

First recorded in 1815–25

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.

Prof Ramesh says when we look at the Sun from the Earth, we see an orange ball of fire which is the photosphere - the Sun's surface or the brightest part of the star.

From BBC • Nov. 26, 2024

“It was a ball of fire, 30 or 40 feet high, never seen anything like it,” Guenther said.

From Reuters • Nov. 23, 2023

Local news broadcasts showed a large ball of fire at the plant followed by large plumes of black smoke.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 22, 2023

“There is literally a ball of fire inside of her,” said Juvonen.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2023

The bomb was an exact copy of the American implosion bomb tested at Trinity, and the rising, twisting, pulsing ball of fire looked just the same.

From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin