fiery

[fahyuh r-ee, fahy-uh-ree] /ˈfaɪər i, ˈfaɪ ə ri/
adjective, fierier, fieriest.
1.
consisting of, attended with, characterized by, or containing fire:
a volcano's fiery discharge.
2.
intensely hot:
fiery desert sands.
3.
like or suggestive of fire:
a fiery red; angry, fiery eyes.
4.
intensely ardent, impetuous, or passionate:
fiery courage; a fiery speech.
5.
easily angered or provoked:
a fiery temper.
6.
causing a burning sensation, as certain liquors or condiments.
7.
inflamed, as a tumor or sore.
8.
Mining Older Use.
  1. highly flammable.
  2. containing highly flammable gas.
Origin
1225-75; Middle English fi(e)ry. See fire, -y1
Related forms
fierily, adverb
fieriness, noun
unfiery, adjective
Synonyms
3. flaming, flashing, glowing, burning. 4. fervent, vehement, spirited, impassioned.
Antonyms
2, 3, 4. cool, cold. 4. dispassionate.
Examples from the web for fiery
  • But others were wary of the steam engine, which was frequently caricatured as a fiery dragon.
  • After flowering, they display fiery winter foliage.
  • The planting plan sticks to fiery colors but adds splashes of lime and chocolate to temper the heat.
  • She had fiery red hair and had waitressed for many years at another restaurant down the street.
  • fiery and fruity, it's notable for the subtle balance of spice and citrus, and the impeccable quality of the fish.
  • One couple ended up downwind from the fiery maw of the pizza oven and voiced a desire to move.
  • There the noodles are served hot in soups or cold with a fiery horseradish dressing.
  • It's telling that affirmative action isn't the stuff of campaign ads and fiery political speeches.
  • He had an idea that he was one of those fiery, untamed steeds, but he is not of that character.
  • Day contracted itself into a fiery ball and vanished.
British Dictionary definitions for fiery

fiery

/ˈfaɪərɪ/
adjective fierier, fieriest
1.
of, containing, or composed of fire
2.
resembling fire in heat, colour, ardour, etc: a fiery desert wind, a fiery speaker
3.
easily angered or aroused: a fiery temper
4.
(of food) producing a burning sensation: a fiery curry
5.
(of the skin or a sore) inflamed
6.
flammable or containing flammable gas
7.
(of a cricket pitch) making the ball bounce dangerously high
Derived Forms
fierily, adverb
fieriness, noun
Word Origin and History for fiery
adj.

late 13c., from Middle English fier "fire" (see fire (n.)) + -y (2). The spelling is a relic of one of the attempts to render Old English "y" in fyr in a changing system of vowel sounds. Related: Fieriness.