noun
Uncommon
bonfire
BON-feye-uh
Bonfire (noun) means a large outdoor fire, often lit for celebration or to burn unwanted material. Example: “We gathered around the bonfire and told stories all night.”
noun
1
A large outdoor fire, often lit for celebration or to burn unwanted material.
"A number of towns in East Sussex, and on the borders of Kent and Surrey, make a special feature of huge bonfires and torchlight processions with fireworks on Guy Fawkes day or an early November Saturday."
— , Notes and News: Locomotive Notes: Southern Region (1953)
"We gathered around the bonfire and told stories all night."
"They lit a bonfire to burn the fallen leaves."
How to use bonfire
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA big fire built outside, whether for a party, a celebration, or clearing away rubbish.
Common pairings
light a bonfire
gather around a bonfire
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Word forms
- Plural
- bonfires
- Third person singular
- bonfires
- Past tense
- bonfired
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We gathered around the _____ and told stories all night.
Etymology
From Middle English bonnefyre, literally "bone fire" — a fire in which bones were burned, later generalized to any large outdoor fire.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for bonfire
See all rhymes for bonfire →Frequently asked questions
What does “bonfire” mean?
The word “bonfire” means a large outdoor fire, often lit for celebration or to burn unwanted material. In plain terms, a big fire built outside, whether for a party, a celebration, or clearing away rubbish.
How do you pronounce “bonfire”?
“Bonfire” is pronounced BON-feye-uh (/ˈbɑnˌfaɪɚ/ in IPA).
How do you use “bonfire” in a sentence?
Here is “bonfire” used in a sentence: “We gathered around the bonfire and told stories all night.”
What part of speech is “bonfire”?
“Bonfire” is a noun.
Where does the word “bonfire” come from?
The word “bonfire” comes from Middle English. From Middle English bonnefyre, literally "bone fire" — a fire in which bones were burned, later generalized to any large outdoor fire.
Is “bonfire” a common word?
“Bonfire” is an uncommon word in modern English.
