firestarter

Gets flames going

A firestarter is anything used to ignite a fire, from commercial cubes and kindling to newspaper twisted into knots.

The term extends to people who spark conflict or controversy, whether deliberately provocative figures or those who simply can't help stirring things up.

She's a firestarter—every meeting ends in an argument.

In British slang, particularly after the Prodigy song, firestarter can describe someone intense, chaotic, or dangerously exciting.

kindling

tinder

Combustible material for ignition

kindlingMaterial for starting fires
firewoodCut logs for burning
matchesPairs that align

lighter · flint · charcoal · newspaper · fatwood · birchbark · pinecone · woodshavings · magnesium · striker

arson

arsonist

One who illegally ignites

pyromaniacOne obsessed with flames
firebugDeliberate flame-setter
incendiaryCausing or designed for burning

accelerant · torch · crime · investigation · evidence · motive · serial · suspicious · criminal · felony

ignition

spark

Tiny fiery particle

flameBurning gas made visible
combustionExothermic reaction with oxygen
igniteStart burning something

kindle · burn · blaze · catch · heat · friction · oxidation · ember · smolder · spontaneous

agitator

instigator

One who provokes action

provocateurOne who deliberately incites
rabble-rouserOne who stirs dissent
troublemakerOne who creates discord

inciter · agitator · disruptor · pot-stirrer · demagogue · firebrand · revolutionary · radical · antagonist · fomenter

inspirer

trailblazer

First to forge ahead

pioneerEarly explorer or settler
catalystAgent enabling change
motivatorSomething prompting action

energizer · mover · trendsetter · innovator · leader · visionary · initiator · game-changer · groundbreaker · torchbearer

firestarter

tinder

arsonist

spark

instigator

trailblazer

firestarter

Opposites

Categories

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