firestorm

noun

fire·​storm ˈfī(-ə)r-ˌstȯrm 

1

: a very intense and destructive fire usually accompanied by high winds

The Rooses' house and gardens were obliterated in the 1991 Oakland firestorm.

—Craig Summers Black

especially : one that is started by attack with nuclear or incendiary weapons and that creates a powerful updraft which causes very strong inrushing winds to develop in the surrounding area

His goal was to create firestorms like the ones that had consumed Hamburg and Dresden, conflagrations so vast and intense that nothing could survive them …

—David M. Kennedy

2

a

: a sudden or violent outburst

a firestorm of public protest

b

: a raging controversy

a political firestorm

Synonyms

• contestation
• controversy
• debate
• difference
• difficulty
• disagreement
• disputation
• dispute
• dissension
• dissention
• dissensus
• nonconcurrence

Examples of firestorm in a Sentence

The bombing left the city engulfed in a firestorm.

His proposal set off a political firestorm.

a firestorm of public protest

Recent Examples on the Web

The fact that the shooter may have been motivated by the way UnitedHealthcare handled claims has ignited an online firestorm of people who have widespread complaints about the health insurance industry. —Megan Poinski, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024

Then, after the unnamed person died, McCartney handled any interactions with the police in order to ensure that Irving wasn’t dragged into a media firestorm. —Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 4 Dec. 2024

Clark’s on-court pay set off a firestorm when she was drafted. —Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 4 Dec. 2024

Pardoning him after that trial would have ignited a political firestorm for his father, who was campaigning for re-election. —Elizabeth Both, NBC News, 2 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined at sense 1