Meanings
- idiomaticOverwhelmed with emotion; beside oneself.
Anytime I am on fire with anxiety about the future, or totally freaking out that I am not being seen, heard, or treated fairly based on my old wounds, it is easy for me to RECOGNIZE that my Character 2 has flared right up in an attempt to not only protect me but help me get my needs met.
2022 [2021], Jill Bolte Taylor, “The Brain Huddle: Your Power Tool for Peace”, in Whole Brain Living: The Anatomy of Choice and the Four Characters That Drive Our Life, Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, →ISBN, page 160 - idiomaticExcited, enthusiastic or passionate.
“I'm on fire with an idea,” the 48-year-old businessman proclaimed with excitement similar to that which he projected in 1971 when his company became the first predominantly Black-owned corporation to be listed on the American Stock Exchange.
1975 November 6, Robert E. Johnson, “The Prodigal Returns To His First Love: The Beauty Industry”, in Jet, volume 49, number 7, page 21 - excessiveExperiencing a burning-like sensation, especially "the burn" (from buildup of lactic acid)
He locks us into a crouched position that results in muscle failure of the quads, hamstrings, and calves. It hurts. We raise ten-pound rubber rifles and hold them parallel to the ground. Our legs are on fire, then our arms too.
2016, Eric Fair, Consequence, page 28
Synonyms & antonyms
prepositional phraseBeing burned by fire.
prepositional phraseDoing very well; achieving good results at a rapid rate.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishon fier
- Englishon fire
From Middle English on fier, on fijre, on fire, on fyire, on fyre.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Dutch in brand, in de fik
- in brandbeing burned by fire
- in de fikbeing burned by fire
- in de hensbeing burned by fire
- in lichterlaaiebeing burned by fire
Finnish tulessa, vauhdissa
- tulessabeing burned by fire
- vauhdissarapidly achieving good results
French en feu
- en feubeing burned by fire
German in Brand, in Flammen
- in Brandbeing burned by fire
- in Flammenbeing burned by fire
- einen Lauf habenrapidly achieving good results
Irish le thine
- le thinebeing burned by fire
Italian in fiamme
- in fiammebeing burned by fire
Latin ardens, flagrans
- ardensbeing burned by fire
- flagransbeing burned by fire
- igneusbeing burned by fire
Polish płonący, na fali
- płonącybeing burned by fire
- na falirapidly achieving good results
Portuguese pegando fogo, em chamas
- pegando fogobeing burned by fire
- em chamasbeing burned by fire
Romanian în flăcări
- în flăcăribeing burned by fire
Russian в огне́, в уда́ре
- в огне́ (v ogné)being burned by fire
- в уда́ре (v udáre)rapidly achieving good results
Spanish en fuego, en llamas
- en fuegobeing burned by fire
- en llamasbeing burned by fire
- en fuegorapidly achieving good results
- en racharapidly achieving good results
- a toperapidly achieving good results
Swedish i brand, brinnande
- i brandbeing burned by fire
- brinnandebeing burned by fire
Welsh ar dân
- ar dânbeing burned by fire
Cite this entry
on fire. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20fire
“on fire.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20fire. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “on fire,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20fire.
Source: on fire on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.