Great balls of fire Meaning in English
expression
GRAYT bawlz uh FYE-er
GRAYT bawlz ov FYE-uh
Definition
An old-fashioned exclamation showing surprise, shock, or excitement; sometimes used to express disbelief or amazement.
Usage & Nuances
Very informal and dated; strongly associated with 1950s–60s Americana (music, movies). Used playfully, often for comic effect. Not common in modern casual conversation; sounds old-fashioned or theatrical. Similar to 'Goodness gracious!'. Never taken literally.
Spanish: ¡válgame Dios! - ¡rayos! - ¡santo cielo!Portuguese (BR): Nossa Senhora! - Céus! - Meu Deus!Portuguese (PT): Céus! - Bolas de fogo! - Santo Deus!Chinese (Simplified): 天哪！- 我的天！Chinese (Traditional): 天啊！- 我的天呀！Hindi: हे भगवान! - अरे बाप रे!Arabic: يا إلهي! - يا للعجب!Bengali: হায় ঈশ্বর! - ভয়ানক ব্যাপার!Russian: Вот это да! - О боже! - Ух ты!Japanese: なんてこった！- びっくりした！Vietnamese: Trời ơi! - Chúa ơi!Korean: 맙소사! - 세상에!Turkish: Vay canına! - Aman tanrım!Urdu: یا اللہ! - ہائے اللہ!Indonesian: Astaga! - Ya ampun!
Example Sentences
Great balls of fire! That's a huge cake.
basic
When the lights went out, she yelled, "Great balls of fire!"
basic
Great balls of fire, you scared me!
basic
Great balls of fire, I haven't seen you in forever!
natural
He walked in and everyone went, "Great balls of fire! Where did you come from?"
natural
Wow, great balls of fire, that's an amazing idea!
natural