ire

ire

noun \ˈī(-ə)r\

Definition of IRE

: intense and usually openly displayed anger

— ire transitive verb

— ire·ful \-fəl\ adjective

Examples of IRE

1. He directed his ire at the coworkers who reported the incident.
2. <the patronizing comment from the snooty waiter roused her ire>

Origin of IRE

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

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to IRE

Synonyms: angriness, birse [chiefly Scottish], choler, furor, fury, indignation, irateness, anger, lividity, lividness, mad, madness, mood [archaic], outrage, rage, spleen, wrath, wrathfulness

Antonyms: delight, pleasure

Related Words: aggravation, annoyance, exasperation, irritation, vexation; acrimoniousness, acrimony, animosity, antagonism, antipathy, bile, biliousness, bitterness, contempt, embitterment, empoisonment, enmity, grudge, hostility, rancor; envy, jaundice, jealousy, pique, resentment; malevolence, malice, spite, vengefulness, venom, vindictiveness, virulence, vitriol; belligerence, contentiousness, contrariness, crankiness, disputatiousness, hot-headedness, irascibility, irascibleness, irritability, orneriness, pugnaciousness, pugnacity, quarrelsomeness, querulousness; blowup, flare, flare-up, outburst; chafe, dander, dudgeon, huff, pet, rise, ruffle, temper; air rage, road rage; delirium, heat, passion, warmth

Near Antonyms: calmness, forbearance, patience

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See Synonym Discussion at anger

Rhymes with IRE

briar, choir, fire, gyre, hire, mire, prior, sire, spire, squire, tier, tire, wire