plural fires
often attributive
1
a(1)
: the phenomenon of combustion manifested in light, flame, and heat
(2)
: one of the four elements of the alchemists
air, water, fire, and earth
b(1)
: burning passion : ardor
young lovers with their hearts full of fire
(2)
: liveliness of imagination : inspiration
the force and fire of his oratory
2
a
: fuel in a state of combustion (as on a hearth)
warmed his hands at the crackling fire
b
British
: a small gas or electric space heater
3
a
: a destructive burning (as of a building)
The shack was destroyed by a fire.
b(1)
: death or torture by fire
He confessed under threat of the fire.
(2)
: severe trial or ordeal
He had proved himself in the fire of battle.
4
: brilliancy, luminosity
the fire of a gem
5
a
: the firing of weapons (such as firearms, artillery, or missiles)
The troops were ordered to cease fire. [=stop shooting]
They opened fire on [=began shooting at] the enemy.
also
: the bullets, shells, etc., that are discharged
The soldiers endured heavy fire.
see also friendly fire compare counterfire
b
: intense verbal attack or criticism
His remarks have provoked heavy fire from his political opponents.
c
: a rapidly delivered series (as of remarks)
fired; firing
1
b(1)
: to give life or spirit to : inspire
the description fired his imagination
(2)
: to fill with passion or enthusiasm
—often used with up
c
: to light up as if by fire
d
: to cause to start operating
—usually used with up
fired up the engine
2
a
: to drive out or away by or as if by fire
b
: to dismiss from a position
3
a(1)
: to cause to explode : detonate
(3)
: shoot sense 1b
fire a gun
(4)
: to score (a number) in a game or contest
b
: to throw with speed or force
fired the ball to first base
fire a left jab
c
: to utter with force and rapidity
4
: to apply fire or fuel to: such as
a
: to process by applying heat
fire pottery
b
: to feed or serve the fire of
fire a boiler
1
2
a
: to become irritated or angry
—often used with up
b
: to become filled with excitement or enthusiasm
3
a
: to discharge a firearm
fire at close range
b
: to emit or let fly an object
4
: to tend a fire
5
: to transmit a nerve impulse
the rate at which a neuron fires
firer
noun
finance, insurance, and real estate
Phrases
on fire
1
: being consumed by fire : aflame
The house was on fire.
2
: performing exceedingly well
Of late, center Sami Kelleher and wing Abby Gendron have been on fire. The two have combined for 30 points over the last six games …—
Matt Williams
Matt Williams1
: exposed to fire from an enemy's weapons
The soldier showed courage under fire.
2
: under attack
The company has come under fire for its discriminatory hiring policies.
Synonyms
Examples of fire in a Sentence
Noun
Stay away from the fire.
The shack was destroyed by a fire.
Two people died in that terrible fire.
How did the fire start?
We warmed our hands over the fire.
She built a fire in the fireplace.
The fire went out and he had to light it again.
Verb
She fired the arrow at the target.
He fired several shots at the police.
He fired at the police.
The gun failed to fire.
The soldiers fired on the enemy.
The shortstop fired the ball to first base.
The angry mob fired rocks at him.
The boxer fired a left jab at his opponent's chin.
The story fired his imagination.
She had to fire several workers.
See More
Recent Examples on the WebDesiree Adib, ABC News, 24 Nov. 2023
According to Irish media outlet RTÉ, rioters attacked gardaí, officers of the state police force Garda, and set a garda vehicle on fire.
—Bradford Betz, Fox News, 23 Nov. 2023
After being blocked at a checkpoint for several hours, the convoy turned back and then came under fire near the organization’s office.
—Louisa Loveluck, Washington Post, 23 Nov. 2023
However, failing to properly water your tree is what can cause a fire to occur.
—Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 23 Nov. 2023
Hundreds of emergency workers in Kentucky put out a large fire on Thursday after a
CSX
freight train carrying molten sulfur derailed a day earlier, officials said.
—Dan Frosch, WSJ, 23 Nov. 2023
For all the accolades officials gave for reopening the 10 in days rather than weeks, state leaders have publicly said little about the precise damage caused by the fire, exactly how Caltrans plans to make fixes and how much the repairs will cost.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023
That came after Bezos had come under fire for what critics said was a lack of philanthropic initiatives, especially amid the charitable activities of his ex-wife, Mackenzie Scott.
—CBS News, 21 Nov. 2023
The facility has come under fire and appeared surrounded by Israeli forces.
—NBC News, 12 Nov. 2023
Ameera Harouda, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2023
In October, Kimbrough was fired from the Atlanta Police Department, or APD, for not following standard operating procedures by arresting Hollman without a supervisor on the scene.
—Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2023
In this large-scale set piece, the French army fires cannons at Russian soldiers on a field of ice, and the explosions plunge them into the water.
—Armond White, National Review, 24 Nov. 2023
Palestinian militants continued firing rockets at Israel throughout the day, without causing casualties.
—Josef Federman, arkansasonline.com, 23 Nov. 2023
OpenAI said Sam Altman will return as chief executive of the artificial-intelligence startup, ending a standoff that began when the board fired him last week.
—WSJ, 22 Nov. 2023
Getty Images | Justin Sullivan After five days of chaos triggered by OpenAI's firing of CEO Sam Altman, the executive is set to return to the company, while the board of directors that fired him is to be almost entirely remade.
—Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 22 Nov. 2023
The news of her exit comes one day after her co-star Melissa Barrera was fired from the horror movie due to Barrera’s social media posts about Israel and Palestine.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 22 Nov. 2023
The previous three coaches fired at Texas A&M combined to collect roughly $20 million in buyouts.
—Tom Layberger, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
See More
Noun
In the video, a tearful Cohen described how one woman was in a bomb shelter that was set on fire by the terrorists to force her out.
—Desiree Adib, ABC News, 24 Nov. 2023
According to Irish media outlet RTÉ, rioters attacked gardaí, officers of the state police force Garda, and set a garda vehicle on fire.
—Bradford Betz, Fox News, 23 Nov. 2023
After being blocked at a checkpoint for several hours, the convoy turned back and then came under fire near the organization’s office.
—Louisa Loveluck, Washington Post, 23 Nov. 2023
However, failing to properly water your tree is what can cause a fire to occur.
—Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 23 Nov. 2023
Hundreds of emergency workers in Kentucky put out a large fire on Thursday after a
CSX
freight train carrying molten sulfur derailed a day earlier, officials said.
—Dan Frosch, WSJ, 23 Nov. 2023
For all the accolades officials gave for reopening the 10 in days rather than weeks, state leaders have publicly said little about the precise damage caused by the fire, exactly how Caltrans plans to make fixes and how much the repairs will cost.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023
That came after Bezos had come under fire for what critics said was a lack of philanthropic initiatives, especially amid the charitable activities of his ex-wife, Mackenzie Scott.
—CBS News, 21 Nov. 2023
The facility has come under fire and appeared surrounded by Israeli forces.
—NBC News, 12 Nov. 2023
Verb
An Egyptian official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, described the same scene, saying an Israeli tank fired at a group of Palestinians at an Israeli checkpoint south of Gaza City on Friday morning and killed two people.
—Ameera Harouda, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2023
In October, Kimbrough was fired from the Atlanta Police Department, or APD, for not following standard operating procedures by arresting Hollman without a supervisor on the scene.
—Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2023
In this large-scale set piece, the French army fires cannons at Russian soldiers on a field of ice, and the explosions plunge them into the water.
—Armond White, National Review, 24 Nov. 2023
Palestinian militants continued firing rockets at Israel throughout the day, without causing casualties.
—Josef Federman, arkansasonline.com, 23 Nov. 2023
OpenAI said Sam Altman will return as chief executive of the artificial-intelligence startup, ending a standoff that began when the board fired him last week.
—WSJ, 22 Nov. 2023
Getty Images | Justin Sullivan After five days of chaos triggered by OpenAI's firing of CEO Sam Altman, the executive is set to return to the company, while the board of directors that fired him is to be almost entirely remade.
—Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 22 Nov. 2023
The news of her exit comes one day after her co-star Melissa Barrera was fired from the horror movie due to Barrera’s social media posts about Israel and Palestine.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 22 Nov. 2023
The previous three coaches fired at Texas A&M combined to collect roughly $20 million in buyouts.
—Tom Layberger, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fire.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun and Verb
Middle English, from Old English fȳr; akin to Old High German fiur fire, Greek pyr
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)
Verb
13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1b(1)
Time Traveler
The first known use of fire was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing fire
Dictionary Entries Near fire
Cite this Entry
“Fire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fire. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
fire
1 of 2 noun1
: the light and heat and especially the flame produced by burning
2
: eager liveliness : enthusiasm
3
: fuel that is burning (as in a fireplace or stove)
4
: the destructive burning of something (as a building or a forest)
5
: the shooting of guns
fire
2 of 2 verb
fired; firing
1
b
: stir entry 1 sense 3, enliven
a story to fire the imagination
all fired up
2
: to dismiss from employment
3
: to cause to explode
fire dynamite
4
5
a
: to subject to great heat
fire pottery
b
: to feed the fire of
fire a furnace
6
a
: to begin to burn
b
: to have fuel (as in a cylinder of an engine) ignite at the proper time
7
: to transmit a nerve impulse
the neuron fired
firer
noun
Medical Definition
fire
2 of 2 verb
fired; firing
1
: to cause to transmit a nerve impulse
2
: to sear (the leg of a horse) with a hot iron in order to convert a crippling chronic inflammation into an acute inflammation that will stimulate the natural healing responses of the body
: to transmit a nerve impulse
the rate at which a neuron fires
Biographical Definition
More from Merriam-Webster on fire
Nglish: Translation of fire for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of fire for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fire
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