backfire

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back·fire

(băk′fīr′)

1. An explosion of prematurely ignited fuel or of unburned exhaust gases in an internal-combustion engine.

2. The backward escape of gases or cartridge fragments when a gun is fired.

3. A fire started in the path of an oncoming fire in order to deprive it of fuel and thereby control or extinguish it.

intr.v. back·fired, back·fir·ing, back·fires

1. To explode in the manner of or make the sound of a backfire.

2. To start or use a backfire in extinguishing or controlling a forest fire.

3. To produce an unexpected, undesired result.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

backfire

(ˌbækˈfaɪə)

vb (intr)

1. (Automotive Engineering) (of an internal-combustion engine) to emit a loud noise as a result of an explosion in the inlet manifold or exhaust system

2. (of an endeavour, plan, etc) to have an unwanted effect on its perpetrator: his plans backfired on him.

3. (Forestry) to start a controlled fire in order to halt an advancing forest or prairie fire by creating a barren area

4. (Automotive Engineering) (in an internal-combustion engine)

a. an explosion of unburnt gases in the exhaust system

b. a premature explosion in a cylinder or inlet manifold

5. (Forestry) a controlled fire started to create a barren area that will halt an advancing forest or prairie fire

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

back•fire

(ˈbækˌfaɪ^ər)

v. -fired, -fir•ing,
n. v.i.

1. (of an internal-combustion engine) to have a loud, premature explosion in the intake manifold.

2. to bring a result opposite to that planned.

3. to start a fire deliberately in order to check a forest or prairie fire by creating a barren area in advance of it.

4. (in an internal-combustion engine) a premature, explosive ignition of fuel in the intake manifold.

5. an explosion coming out of the breech of a firearm.

6. a fire started intentionally to check the advance of a forest fire.

[1775–85, Amer.]

backfire

Past participle: backfired
Gerund: backfiring

Imperative
backfire
backfire

Present
I backfire
you backfire
he/she/it backfires
we backfire
you backfire
they backfire

Preterite
I backfired
you backfired
he/she/it backfired
we backfired
you backfired
they backfired

Present Continuous
I am backfiring
you are backfiring
he/she/it is backfiring
we are backfiring
you are backfiring
they are backfiring

Present Perfect
I have backfired
you have backfired
he/she/it has backfired
we have backfired
you have backfired
they have backfired

Past Continuous
I was backfiring
you were backfiring
he/she/it was backfiring
we were backfiring
you were backfiring
they were backfiring

Past Perfect
I had backfired
you had backfired
he/she/it had backfired
we had backfired
you had backfired
they had backfired

Future
I will backfire
you will backfire
he/she/it will backfire
we will backfire
you will backfire
they will backfire

Future Perfect
I will have backfired
you will have backfired
he/she/it will have backfired
we will have backfired
you will have backfired
they will have backfired

Future Continuous
I will be backfiring
you will be backfiring
he/she/it will be backfiring
we will be backfiring
you will be backfiring
they will be backfiring

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been backfiring
you have been backfiring
he/she/it has been backfiring
we have been backfiring
you have been backfiring
they have been backfiring

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been backfiring
you will have been backfiring
he/she/it will have been backfiring
we will have been backfiring
you will have been backfiring
they will have been backfiring

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been backfiring
you had been backfiring
he/she/it had been backfiring
we had been backfiring
you had been backfiring
they had been backfiring

Conditional
I would backfire
you would backfire
he/she/it would backfire
we would backfire
you would backfire
they would backfire

Past Conditional
I would have backfired
you would have backfired
he/she/it would have backfired
we would have backfired
you would have backfired
they would have backfired

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	backfire - the backward escape of gases and unburned gunpowder after a gun is fired blowback blowup, detonation, explosion - a violent release of energy caused by a chemical or nuclear reaction backblast, back-blast - backfire from a recoilless weapon
	2.	backfire - a loud noise made by the explosion of fuel in the manifold or exhaust of an internal combustion engine blowup, detonation, explosion - a violent release of energy caused by a chemical or nuclear reaction
	3.	backfire - a fire that is set intentionally in order to slow an approaching forest fire or grassfire by clearing a burned area in its path fire - the event of something burning (often destructive); "they lost everything in the fire"
	4.	backfire - a miscalculation that recoils on its maker boomerang miscalculation, misestimation, misreckoning - a mistake in calculating
Verb	1.	backfire - come back to the originator of an action with an undesired effect; "Your comments may backfire and cause you a lot of trouble" backlash, recoil hap, happen, occur, come about, take place, go on, pass off, fall out, pass - come to pass; "What is happening?"; "The meeting took place off without an incidence"; "Nothing occurred that seemed important"
	2.	backfire - emit a loud noise as a result of undergoing a backfire; "My old car backfires all the time" make noise, noise, resound - emit a noise
	3.	backfire - set a controlled fire to halt an advancing forest to prairie fire burn, burn down, fire - destroy by fire; "They burned the house and his diaries"

backfire

verb

1. fail, founder, flop (informal), rebound, fall through, fall flat, boomerang, miscarry, misfire, go belly-up (slang), turn out badly, meet with disaster The President's tactics could backfire.

2. misfire The car backfired.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

backfire

verb

To produce an unexpected and undesired result:

boomerang.

Translations

يُخَّلِفُ نَتَائِج عَكْسِيَّةيَشْتَعِل قبْل الأوانيُعْطي عَكْس النتائِج المرجُوّه

mít opačný účinekselhatzpětný zážehztroskotat

give bagslagknaldesmælde

fehlschlagen fehlzünden

αποτυγχάνω

fallar

epäonnistua

mal tourner

izjaloviti se

visszafelé sül elvisszagyújt

hafa öfug áhrifmiskveikja, sprengja

avere un ritorno di fiamma ritorcersi ritorcersi contro

裏目に出る

기대에 어긋난 결과가 되다

mislopen

slå tilbake slå feil

przynieść odwrotny skutek

mať spätný zápal

slå slint

ให้ผลตรงข้ามกับที่ตั้งใจไว้

geri tepmekumulanın tersi çıkmakerken ateşleme yapmak

phản tác dụng

事与愿违产生事与愿违的结果回火

backfire

[ˈbækˈfaɪəʳ]

A. N (Aut) → petardeo m

B. VI (Aut) → petardear
their plan backfired (fig) → les salió el tiro por la culata

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

backfire

[ˌbækˈfaɪə^r] vi

[plans, strategy, tactics] → avoir l'effet inverse que prévu
to backfire on sb → se retourner contre qn

[car] → pétaraderback flip n → flip m arrière

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

backfire

[ˈbækˈfaɪəʳ] vi (Aut) → avere un ritorno di fiamma (fig) (plan, policy) → avere effetto contrario
to backfire on sb → ritorcersi contro qn

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

back

(bӕk) noun

1. in man, the part of the body from the neck to the bottom of the spine. She lay on her back.

2. in animals, the upper part of the body. She put the saddle on the horse's back.

3. that part of anything opposite to or furthest from the front. the back of the house; She sat at the back of the hall.

4. in football, hockey etc a player who plays behind the forwards.

adjective

of or at the back. the back door.

adverb

1. to, or at, the place or person from which a person or thing came. I went back to the shop; He gave the car back to its owner.

2. away (from something); not near (something). Move back! Let the ambulance get to the injured man; Keep back from me or I'll hit you!

3. towards the back (of something). Sit back in your chair.

4. in return; in response to. When the teacher is scolding you, don't answer back.

5. to, or in, the past. Think back to your childhood.

verb

1. to (cause to) move backwards. He backed (his car) out of the garage.

2. to help or support. Will you back me against the others?

3. to bet or gamble on. I backed your horse to win.

ˈbacker noun

a person who supports someone or something, especially with money. the backer of the new theatre.

ˈbackbite verb

to criticize a person when he is not present.

ˈbackbiting noun

Constant backbiting by her colleagues led to her resignation.

ˈbackbone noun

1. the spine. the backbone of a fish.

2. the chief support. The older employees are the backbone of the industry.

ˈbackbreaking adjective

(of a task etc) very difficult or requiring very hard work. Digging the garden is a backbreaking job.

ˌbackˈdate verb

1. to put an earlier date on (a cheque etc). He should have paid his bill last month and so he has backdated the cheque.

2. to make payable from a date in the past. Our rise in pay was backdated to April.

ˌbackˈfire verb

1. (of a motor-car etc) to make a loud bang because of unburnt gases in the exhaust system. The car backfired.

2. (of a plan etc) to have unexpected results, often opposite to the intended results. His scheme backfired (on him), and he lost money.

ˈbackground noun

1. the space behind the principal or most important figures or objects of a picture etc. He always paints ships against a background of stormy skies; trees in the background of the picture.

2. happenings that go before, and help to explain, an event etc. the background to a situation.

3. a person's origins, education etc. She was ashamed of her humble background.

ˈbackhand noun

1. in tennis etc, a stroke or shot with the back of one's hand turned towards the ball. a clever backhand; His backhand is very strong.

2. writing with the letters sloping backwards. I can always recognize her backhand.

adverb

using backhand. She played the stroke backhand; She writes backhand.

ˈbacklog noun

a pile of uncompleted work etc which has collected. a backlog of orders because of the strike.

ˌback-ˈnumber noun

an out-of-date copy or issue of a magazine etc. He collects back-numbers of comic magazines.

ˈbackpack noun

(especially American) a bag that walkers, people who go on trips, or students carry on their backs.

ˈbackpacking: go backpacking

to go on trips or go camping carrying a backpack.

ˈbackpacker noun

ˈbackside noun

the bottom or buttocks. He sits on his backside all day long and does no work.

ˈbackslash noun

the sign (\).

ˈbackstroke noun

in swimming, a stroke made when lying on one's back in the water. The child is good at backstroke.

ˈbackup noun

1. additional people who provide help when it is needed. The police officer requested some backup when the shooting began.

2. a copy of a computer file that can be used in case the original is destroyed.

3. (also adjective) a piece of equipment, a system etc that can be used when there is a problem with the original one. a backup plan; We have a backup generator in case the power fails.

ˈbackwash noun

1. a backward current eg that following a ship's passage through the water. the backwash of the steamer.

2. the unintentional results of an action, situation etc. The backwash of that firm's financial troubles affected several other firms.

ˈbackwater noun

1. a stretch of river not in the main stream.

2. a place not affected by what is happening in the world outside. That village is rather a backwater.

ˌbackˈyard noun

(especially American) a garden at the back of a house etc. He grows vegetables in his backyard.

back down

to give up one's opinion, claim etc. She backed down in the face of strong opposition.

back of

(American) behind. He parked back of the store.

back on to

(of a building etc) to have its back next to (something). My house backs on to the racecourse.

back out

1. to move out backwards. He opened the garage door and backed (his car) out.

2. to withdraw from a promise etc. You promised to help – you mustn't back out now!

back up

1. to support or encourage. The new evidence backed up my arguments.

2. to make a copy of the information stored on the computer or disk.

have one's back to the wall

to be in a very difficult or desperate situation. He certainly has his back to the wall as he has lost his job and cannot find another one.

put someone's back up

to anger someone. He put my back up with his boasting.

take a back seat

to take an unimportant position. At these discussions he always takes a back seat and listens to others talking.

backfire

→ يُخَّلِفُ نَتَائِج عَكْسِيَّة mít opačný účinek give bagslag fehlschlagen αποτυγχάνω fallar epäonnistua mal tourner izjaloviti se ritorcersi contro 裏目に出る 기대에 어긋난 결과가 되다 mislopen slå tilbake (på) przynieść odwrotny skutek obter um resultado oposto ao que se esperava неожиданно привести к обратным результатам slå slint ให้ผลตรงข้ามกับที่ตั้งใจไว้ geri tepmek phản tác dụng 事与愿违

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BACKFIRE & OTHER STORIES: The killer had dropped a match in the library as he ran through the house to jump into the Cadillac and follow me, but the fire was spotted in a matter of minutes by a passing motorist, and the fire department got there before the body was badly charred.

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Rhetorical backfire: Both the Iranian and Egyptian governments skewered the US government last week over the rioting in Ferguson, Missouri, accusing Washington of using excessive force (although Washington has nothing to do with the 53-man police force in Ferguson).

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Otherwise, we may well get jarred with a loud backfire.

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| BEIRUT, Sept 2 (KUNA) -- The US military intervention in Syria could backfire on US interests as well as stability in the region, Chairman of Iran's parliament Foreign and National Security Committee Alaeddin Boroujerdi said on Monday.