bonfire

bonfire — noun

1. a big fire in an open place, made for celebration or for burning old unwanted th

1.nounB2
Definition

a big fire in an open place, made for celebration or for burning old unwanted things.

Example

At sunset, the neighbors lit a bonfire on the beach.

common collocation: light a bonfire

The garden bonfire burned wet leaves and broken branches all evening.

subject pattern: bonfire + burn

Common collocations
  • light a bonfire
  • build a bonfire
  • garden bonfire
  • bonfire smoke
  • gather around a bonfire
Synonyms
  • campfire

    usually smaller and connected with camping, cooking, or sitting with a few people

  • blaze

    more general and stronger; it often suggests a fierce or dangerous fire

  • pyre

    formal; a fire built to burn a dead body or objects in a ceremony

Grammar Patterns

light a bonfire

build a bonfire

around a bonfire

Usage Note

Usually built outdoors for a group event or for burning garden waste. Unlike a campfire, it is normally larger; unlike a house fire, it is made on purpose.

Common Mistakes

We cooked soup over a bonfire beside our tent.
We cooked soup over a campfire beside our tent.
a campfire is the usual word for a smaller fire used while camping.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A bonfire is a large outdoor fire, often for a celebration or for burning unwanted material. A campfire is usually smaller and linked to camping, cooking, or sitting with a few people. A blaze is a more general word for a strong fire; it may be planned, but it often suggests danger or loss of control. A pyre is formal and refers to a fire built to burn a dead body or, sometimes, objects in a public act. A beacon is a fire used as a signal, often on a hill or coast. So friends may sit around a bonfire at a festival, campers cook over a campfire, and news reports often describe a forest blaze.

bonfire ↗campfire ↗blaze ↗pyrebeacon ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • garden bonfire
  • beach bonfire
  • bonfire smoke

Phrases

  • light a bonfire
  • build a bonfire
  • sit around a bonfire

Prepositions

  • around a bonfire
  • by the bonfire
  • on the bonfire

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word was first written in Middle English as bonefire, joining bone and fire. It first meant a fire in which bones were burned. Later the form changed to bonfire, and the meaning widened to any large open-air fire, especially one used for celebration or for burning unwanted material.