bonfire
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A large outdoor fire that is lighted as a signal or in celebration.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
bahnfyerSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈbɑnfaɪɚ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition of bonfire
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A large outdoor fire that is lighted as a signal or in celebration
A large, controlled outdoor fire lit to celebrate something or as a signal.
A fire lit outdoors to burn unwanted items; originally (historical), heretics or other offenders, or banned books; now, generally agricultural or garden waste, or rubbish.
figuratively
Something like a bonfire (sense 1 or 2) in heat, destructiveness, ferocity, etc.
verb
transitive
To destroy (something) by, or as if by, burning on a bonfire; (more generally) to burn or set alight.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B1 · Intermediate
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Varies by meaning
More ways to use bonfire
- “We lit a bonfire on the beach to celebrate the end of summer.”
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Effigies of Guy Fawkes are burned on this night.
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Collections with this word
Themed sets you can browse for free.
Use it yourself
Keep learning “bonfire” by choosing the kind of practice you need next.
- Practice sentence writingWrite sentences with vocabulary and get instant feedback.
- Practice in contextAnswer short vocabulary questions drawn from real situations.
- Review vocabularyTest your recall and strengthen words over time.
- Practice typingType vocabulary in short rounds that draw from words you've learned and saved.
Want to type words like this one without looking at the keyboard? Each typing round draws from words you've learned, saved or need to review. Follow the free Learn to Type lessons and type your own vocabulary with confidence.
Common questions about bonfire
- What does “bonfire” mean?
- A large outdoor fire that is lighted as a signal or in celebration.
- What part of speech is “bonfire”?
- “bonfire” is most often used as a noun.
- How do you use “bonfire” in a sentence?
- We lit a bonfire on the beach to celebrate the end of summer.
Nearby words in the dictionary
Words that come just before and after this one.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.