firebrand
noun
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The original firebrands were incendiary indeed; they were pieces of wood set burning at the fire, perhaps for use as a light or a weapon. English speakers started brandishing those literal firebrands as long ago as the 13th century. (Robinson Crusoe held one high as he rushed into a cave on his deserted island and saw by the light of the firebrand . . . lying on the ground a monstrous, frightful old he-goat.) But the burning embers of the wooden firebrand quickly sparked figurative uses for the term, too. By the early 14th century, firebrand was also being used for one doomed to burn in hell, and by 1382, English writers were using it for anyone who kindled mischief or inflamed passions.
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Examples of firebrand in a Sentence
Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025
The president-elect has chosen former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi as his nominee to head the Justice Department and firebrand loyalist Kash Patel to head the FBI.
—Susan Page, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025
Poilievre, for years the party’s go-to attack dog, is a firebrand populist who blamed Canada’s cost-of-living crisis on Trudeau.
—Rob Gillies, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2025
Although his policy proposals are considerably more moderate than the president-elect's, Poilievre has built a reputation as a political firebrand, and his populist image has drawn comparisons to Trump.
—Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
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“Firebrand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/firebrand. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.
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firebrand
noun
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