brush fire: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1formal/informal
Quick answer
What does “brush fire” mean?
A fire burning in low-growing, scrubby vegetation like bushes, shrubs, or undergrowth.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A fire burning in low-growing, scrubby vegetation like bushes, shrubs, or undergrowth.
A rapidly spreading, intense, but often brief and localized conflict, controversy, or crisis.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Literal meaning is identical. The metaphorical use ('brushfire war', 'brushfire scandal') is more common in American English.
Connotations
In both varieties, implies something that spreads quickly and requires immediate attention but is limited in scope.
Frequency
More frequent in American English, especially in news/journalistic contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “brush fire” in a Sentence
A brush fire broke out in [LOCATION].[PERSON/AGENCY] is fighting a brush fire.The [INCIDENT] was a mere brush fire compared to...Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “brush fire” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The controversy is threatening to brush fire across the entire sector.
American English
- The scandal brush-fired through the department in a matter of hours.
adverb
British English
- The news spread brush-fire quick through the small town.
American English
- Rumours travelled brush-fire fast across the internet.
adjective
British English
- The minister faced a brush-fire rebellion from backbench MPs.
American English
- The administration is involved in several brushfire conflicts overseas.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Metaphorical: 'The PR team is dealing with a brush fire of negative reviews on social media.'
Academic
Literal in environmental studies; metaphorical in political science/history.
Everyday
Literal: 'The park is closed due to a brush fire.'
Technical
Literal: A fire classification in forestry/wildfire management.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “brush fire”
- Writing as one word: 'brushfire' (common but the two-word form is standard).
- Confusing with 'forest fire' (which is larger and in mature trees).
- Overusing the metaphorical sense in informal conversation.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, especially in American English, but the two-word form 'brush fire' is considered the standard dictionary entry.
A brush fire burns low-lying vegetation (bushes, grass), while a forest fire involves taller trees and a forest canopy.
Rarely. It typically carries a neutral (literal) or negative (metaphorical) connotation of an uncontrolled, spreading problem.
It is common in journalistic and political analysis. It is moderately formal and understood in general contexts.
A fire burning in low-growing, scrubby vegetation like bushes, shrubs, or undergrowth.
Brush fire: in British English it is pronounced /ˈbrʌʃ ˌfaɪə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈbrʌʃ ˌfaɪr/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “fight a brush fire (on multiple fronts)”
- “a brush fire that could become a wildfire”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'brush' as something small and scratchy. A 'brush fire' is a small, scratchy fire that spreads fast through brushwood.
Conceptual Metaphor
A CONTROVERSY/CRISIS IS A FIRE (it spreads, ignites, must be contained, can be extinguished).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'brush fire' used metaphorically?