Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

fire on all cylinders

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.45 in modern English

Syllables: fire on al-l -cylin-ders
IPA

27

Scrabble Score

18

Letters

4

Syllables

12

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To operate as effectively as possible.

Example Sentences

"The performance was a sign of real intent for Arsenal as they continue their pursuit for silverware on four fronts - and with Van Persie firing on all cylinders, the odds look good on them winning a first trophy since 2005."
""How long does it usually take for me to recover?" "A few months," Wheeler says. "But if you want the honest truth, people in this division are as competent on day one as they'll ever be. You come to the job firing on all cylinders, or not at all. The rest is just fine-tuning and chemistry.""

Etymology

In reference to an internal combustion engine, in which using all cylinders allows the engine to operate most effectively.

Inflected Forms

fires on all cylinders (present, singular) firing on all cylinders (participle, present) fired on all cylinders (participle, past) fired on all cylinders (past) hit on all cylinders (alternative) hit on all six (alternative)

Synonyms

hit on all six

Questions

What does fire on all cylinders mean?: To operate as effectively as possible.
Where does fire on all cylinders come from?: In reference to an internal combustion engine, in which using all cylinders allows the engine to operate most effectively.

How to pronounce fire on all cylinders

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