ire

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noun

ˈī(-ə)r How to pronounce ire (audio)
Synonyms of irenext
: intense and usually openly displayed anger
ire transitive verb
ireful
ˈī(-ə)r-fəl How to pronounce ire (audio)
adjective

Ire

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abbreviation

Ireland

Synonyms

Noun

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for ire

anger, ire, rage, fury, indignation, wrath mean an intense emotional state induced by displeasure.

anger, the most general term, names the reaction but by itself does not convey cause or intensity.

tried to hide his anger

ire, more frequent in literary contexts, suggests an intense anger, often with an evident display of feeling.

cheeks flushed with ire

rage and fury suggest loss of self-control from violence of emotion.

shook with rage
could not contain his fury

indignation stresses righteous anger at what one considers unfair, mean, or shameful.

a comment that caused general indignation

wrath is likely to suggest a desire or intent to punish or get revenge.

I feared her wrath if I was discovered

Examples of ire in a Sentence

Noun He directed his ire at the coworkers who reported the incident. the patronizing comment from the snooty waiter roused her ire
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Moore's release drew the ire of law-enforcement leaders across metro Detroit. —Bill Laytner, Detroit Free Press, 14 Nov. 2024 McGuire was backed by former President Trump during the GOP primary after Good drew the ire of the former president. —Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 6 Nov. 2024 Still, Karlsson’s work in the defensive zone has been iffy (sound familiar), and a shaky performance in a 5-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday drew the ire of Sullivan. —Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024 After Trump lost Wisconsin in 2020, voters and officials upset with the outcome focused their ire on the state agency that issues guidance to the clerks and considers complaints. —ProPublica, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ire 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin ira; perhaps akin to Greek oistros gadfly, frenzy

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ire was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near ire

Ire

ire

Iredell

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Ire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ire. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

ire

noun
ˈī(ə)r How to pronounce ire (audio)
: anger entry 1
ire verb
ireful
-fəl How to pronounce ire (audio)
adjective
irefully
-fə-lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on ire

Nglish: Translation of ire for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of ire for Arabic Speakers

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