backfire
v.
ignite prematurely (of an internal-combustion engine); cause or receive undesired results
n.
premature ignition of fuel causing a small explosion (in an internal-combustion engine); plan that doesn't develop or turn out as expected
Backfire
Backfire!
backfire
Noun
1. a loud noise made by the explosion of fuel in the manifold or exhaust of an internal combustion engine
(hypernym) explosion, detonation, blowup
(hyponym) backblast, back-blast
2. a miscalculation that recoils on its maker
(synonym) boomerang
(hypernym) miscalculation, misreckoning, misestimation
(derivation) backlash
Verb
1. have an unexpected and undesired effect; "Your comments may backfire and cause you a lot of trouble"
(synonym) backlash
(hypernym) react, oppose
(derivation) boomerang
2. emit a loud noise as a result of undergoing a backfire; "My old car backfires all the time"
(hypernym) make noise, resound, noise
3. set a controlled fire to halt an advancing forest to prairie fire
(hypernym) burn, fire, burn down
backfire
Synonyms and related words:
backlash, backlashing, balefire, bang, beacon, beacon fire, blast, blaze, blow out, blow up, blowout, blowup, bonfire, boom, boomerang, bounce, bounce back, bound, bound back, burning ghat, burst, bust, campfire, cannon, cannon off, carom, cheerful fire, combustion, come to grief, comeback, conflagration, contrecoup, corposant, counterattack, counterblast, counterblow, counterfire, counterinsurgency, countermeasure, counterrevolution, counterstep, counterstroke, cozy fire, crackling fire, crematory, death fire, defense, detonate, detonation, discharge, explode, explosion, fall through, fen fire, fire, fizzle, flame, flare, flash, flashing point, flicker, flickering flame, fly back, forest fire, fox fire, fulguration, fulminate, fulmination, funeral pyre, go off, have repercussions, ignis fatuus, ignition, ingle, kick, kick back, kickback, lambent flame, lash back, lay an egg, let off, marshfire, miscarry, miss, open fire, prairie fire, pyre, raging fire, rebound, rebuff, recalcitrate, recalcitration, recoil, repercuss, repercussion, report, repulse, resile, resilience, retort, ricochet, sea of flames, set off, sheet of fire, shoot, signal beacon, smudge fire, snap back, spring, spring back, three-alarm fire, touch off, two-alarm fire, watch fire, wildfire, witch fire
Source: Moby Thesaurus, which is part of the
Moby Project created by Grady Ward. In 1996 Grady Ward placed this thesaurus in the public domain.
backfire