Wildfire Meaning
/ˈwaɪldˌfaɪɚ/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA rapidly spreading fire, especially one occurring in a wildland area.
nounGreek fire.
Sentence Examples
Malicious gossip spreads like wildfire. I guess that's why they say bad news travels fast.
The news spread like wildfire.
The video spread like wildfire over the Internet.
CEFR Practice Quiz
A massive ____ spread quickly through the dry forest and burned everything.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The news of the discovery spread like a ____ through the scientific community in the city earlier this bright morning today.
Word Origin & History
Inherited from Middle English wilde fyr, wilde fire, wylde fyre, from Old English wilde fȳr. By surface analysis, wild + fire.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"So, it appears a revolution has happened and a very unexpected one. Of course it was only a matter of time before it happened. With WiFi connectivity spreading faster than wildfire and a laptop or tablet in one’s bag, what’s the point of a mobile nowadays?"
— 2015 January 18, Monty Munford, “What’s the point of carrying a mobile phone nowadays?”, in The Daily Telegraph:
"“It was my own personal watch and I wanted to change the face,” she said in an interview during a recent business trip to New York. “I started wearing it, and it was wildfire — everybody wanted one.”"
— 2022 December 9, Rachel Felder, “These Timex Dials Were Designed With a Jeweler’s Eye”, in The New York Times:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
A massive ____ spread quickly through the dry forest and burned everything.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The news of the discovery spread like a ____ through the scientific community in the city earlier this bright morning today.