firebrand

fire·brand

F f

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
- [fahyuh r-brand]
- /ˈfaɪərˌbrænd/
- /ˈfaɪə.brænd/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [fahyuh r-brand]
- /ˈfaɪərˌbrænd/

Definitions of firebrand word

noun firebrand a piece of burning wood or other material. 1
noun firebrand a person who kindles strife or encourages unrest; an agitator; troublemaker. 1
noun firebrand A person who is passionate about a particular cause, typically inciting change and taking radical action. 1
noun firebrand troublemaker 1
noun firebrand burning wood 1
countable noun firebrand If you describe someone as a firebrand, especially someone who is very active in politics, you mean that they are always trying to make people take strong action. 0

See all 10 definitions of firebrand

Information block about the term

Origin of firebrand

First appearance:

before 1175

One of the 8% oldest English words

Middle English word dating back to 1175-1225; See origin at fire, brand

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Firebrand

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Firebrand

firebrand popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 73% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.

This word is included in each student's vocabulary. Most likely there is at least one movie with this word in the title.

firebrand usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for firebrand

noun firebrand

instigator — to cause by incitement; foment: to instigate a quarrel.
malcontent — not satisfied or content with currently prevailing conditions or circumstances.
demonstrator — Demonstrators are people who are marching or gathering somewhere to show their opposition to something or their support for something.
rabble-rouser — a person who stirs up the passions or prejudices of the public, usually for his or her own interests; demagogue.
guerrilla — a member of a band of irregular soldiers that uses guerrilla warfare, harassing the enemy by surprise raids, sabotaging communication and supply lines, etc.

All 14 Synonyms of firebrand