firework

noun

fire·work ˈfī(-ə)r-ˌwərk

plural fireworks

: a device for producing a striking display by the combustion of explosive or flammable compositions

setting off fireworks

fireworks plural : a display of fireworks

a celebration marked by fireworks

A large crowd gathered to watch the fireworks.

a spectacular fireworks display

Of course there is more to the Fourth of July than fireworks.—

John Updike

fireworks plural

: a display of temper or intense conflict

… director Jack Hofsiss, in his film debut, and screenwriter David Rabe … fill the screen with raw emotional fireworks.—

People Weekly

: strong feelings of usually romantic or sexual attraction between two people

… Hollywood has done a pretty convincing job of making so many of us believe that if there aren't immediate fireworks between two people, then it's time to walk away.—

Tayi Sanusi

: a spectacular display

the fireworks of autumn leaves

Did you know?

The word fireworks burst upon the scene in the 1500s as a reference to military explosives (a sense that is now obsolete). These explosives were originally used as weapons, of course, but soon they were also being used in explosive displays celebrating victory or peace. By 1575 people were oohing and aahing over "fireworks shewed upon the water; the which were both strange and wel [sic] executed." Figurative uses have been popping up ever since the 1600s. In addition to the angry explosion sense, fireworks can also refer to a spectacular display of musical, visual, or verbal brilliance, as in "an outstanding album, bursting with spectacular musical fireworks."

Examples of firework in a Sentence

Are you going to stay for the fireworks? We expect a few fireworks during the presidential debate.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The startling multiplication of the contests reminds me of the summer of 2020, when otherwise rational-seeming people suggested that the FBI was planting caches of fireworks in various American cities as part of a convoluted psyop. —

Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 21 Nov. 2024 Others, however, have gone further and called for a total ban on the sale of fireworks nationally, except for large-scale licensed public events. —

Patrick Smith, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024 The event will include fireworks, a pre-parade show with live performances and the parade. —

Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 13 Nov. 2024 The City Council would have the authority to set restrictions on who may sell fireworks and when and where they may be sold and discharged. —

Jonathan Horwitz, Orange County Register, 6 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for firework