backfire

CEFRC1

/bækˈfaɪə(ɹ)/

verb · noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To have the opposite result from what was intended.

  2. 02

    noun

    A sudden explosive sound from an engine.

Examples

  • The harsh advertisement began to backfire when customers complained online.

  • Tom thought that he heard a car backfire.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
2

Also pronounced

  • /ˈbækfaɪə(ɹ)/

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings

  1. An explosion in the exhaust passages of an internal combustion engine.

  2. To have the opposite effect from the one intended.

noun

Extra meaning

  1. A premature explosion in the cylinder of a gas or oil engine during the exhaust or the compression stroke, tending to drive the piston in the wrong direction.

More examples

In context

  • His attempt to make money by importing luxury cars backfired horribly when fuel prices tripled.

  • Her plan backfired on her.

  • As much of Seattle tries to sleep, the Hellcat supercar goes on the prowl, the howls of its engine and the explosive backfires from its tailpipes echoing off the high-rise towers downtown.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

If you do not follow the safety rules, the engine might blank and cause injuries.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

From back + fire.