spread like wildfire

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

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Verb

spread like wildfire (third-person singular simple present spreads like wildfire, present participle spreading like wildfire, simple past and past participle spread like wildfire)

1. (intransitive, simile) To spread or disseminate rapidly or uncontrollably.

   The virus spread like wildfire throughout the Internet.

   • 1789, The Gentleman's Magazine, page 651:

     The propaganda of the rebels spread like wild-fire, and the hopes of the more daring Irish Catholics rose high.

   • 1941 October, “Notes and News: A Highland Runaway”, in Railway Magazine, page 469:

     "We can sense the tension in Perth," wrote the Scotsman, "when the news spread like wildfire that a runaway engine of ancient vintage was heading north without a soul on the footplate.

   • 2023 May 31, Nadia Khomami, “Kylie Minogue ‘bursting with joy’ as new single Padam Padam soars up charts”, in The Guardian‎^[1]:

     Inspired by Edith Piaf’s 1951 song of the same name, Padam Padam is a reference to the sound of the human heartbeat, and has spread like wildfire thanks to its infectious nature and brevity (it clocks in at 2 mins, 46 seconds).

   • 2024 November 13, Paul Bigland, “Much to admire... but pockets of neglect”, in RAIL, number 1022, page 49:

     It became a popular garden plant in the 20th century, when a Chinese variant (Buddleia Davidii ^[sic]) was introduced. That's when the trouble started. The plant has spread like wildfire since. Its fast-growing invasive nature and survivability is a huge problem for the railways, as (left alone) it can cause serious, expensive damage to structures, block drivers sightlines, or pose a risk to lineside workers.

Translations

spread or disseminate rapidly or uncontrollably

• Arabic: please add this translation if you can
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 不脛而走 / 不胫而走 (zh) (bù jìng ér zǒu)

• Czech: šířit se jako požár impf
• Dutch: als een lopend vuurtje verspreiden
• Finnish: levitä kuin kulovalkea
• French: se répandre comme une traînée de poudre
• German: sich wie ein Lauffeuer verbreiten
• Hungarian: futótűzként terjed
• Italian: diffondersi a macchia d'olio
• Japanese: 瞬く間に広まる (shibatataku aida ni hiromaru)
• Polish: rozchodzić się lotem błyskawicy, rozejść się lotem błyskawicy pf
• Portuguese: espalhar-se como um relâmpago, espalhar-se como um rastilho de pólvora
• Russian: распространя́ться как лесно́й пожа́р (rasprostranjátʹsja kak lesnój požár)
• Spanish: correr como la pólvora
• Swedish: sprida sig som en präriebrand, sprida sig som en löpeld
• Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can