wildfire

noun

1
: a sweeping and destructive conflagration especially in a wilderness or a rural area
2
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)
Phrases
like wildfire
: very rapidly
the news spread 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.
As of Thursday morning, the fire crew managed to contain 85% of this wildfire. Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2025 In the first days of 2025, the wildfires in Los Angeles killed 29 people, destroyed more than 16,000 structures, and ravaged over 57,000 acres, or nearly four times the size of Manhattan. Mahesh Ramanujam, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025 The three dogs were named to be euthanized to make room for the influx of animals that were impacted by the L.A. wildfires. Charna Flam, People.com, 2 Apr. 2025 In addition to the community workshop, the city plans to host two wildfire safety and evacuation awareness workshops. Christian Martinez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Apr. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wildfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wildfire. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

wildfire

noun
: an uncontrollable fire that destroys a wide area
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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