fire

noun, often attributive \ ˈfī(-ə)r \

|Updated on: 8 Jun 2018

Examples: fire in a Sentence

Definition of fire

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)

—

fireless

play \ˈfī(-ə)r-ləs\ adjective

— on fire

1 : being consumed by fire : aflame

The house was on fire.

2 : eager, burning

He was on fire with enthusiasm.

— under fire

1 : 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.

See fire defined for English-language learners

See fire defined for kids

Examples of fire in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of fire from the Web

Mize is considered one of the safest picks in a draft class without many sure-fire stars.

— chris thomas, Detroit Free Press, "Joey Bart emerging as Detroit Tigers' possible No. 1 MLB draft pick," 4 June 2018
After the apparent cease-fire, global financial markets rallied in relief.

— joe mcdonald and paul wiseman, BostonGlobe.com, "China warns US trade deals are off if tariffs go ahead," 3 June 2018
Each of FLCL’s six episodes are so packed with details, rapid-fire jokes and animation shifts that the show practically demands repeat viewings to disentangle the story from the noise.

— stephen scaife, The Verge, "Cult favorite anime FLCL is back with new episodes — but 15 years later, the original still shines," 2 June 2018
One bans bump stocks, the devices that modify semiautomatic rifles into automatic-fire weapons.

— benjamin hart, Daily Intelligencer, "Rhode Island Becomes Latest State to Pass New Gun-Reform Laws," 2 June 2018
With the border fighting in Kashmir getting out of hand in recent months, the two countries agreed May 29 to honor a cease-fire pact that was first put in place 15 years ago.

— The Christian Science Monitor, "The other nuclear powers that need attention," 31 May 2018
That last item is exactly what outdoor athletes, who burn through energy at rapid-fire pace, need to fuel all those runs, rides, and ascents.

— michael easter, Outside Online, "Costco Is a Performance Athlete's Dream," 31 May 2018
This year, a faulty fire alarm led to an evacuation of the entire event on Saturday evening.

— kellie hwang, azcentral, "Phoenix Comic Fest 2018 takeaways: What went well (and what didn't)," 30 May 2018
But some security experts advise that a factory-reset is the only sure-fire way to purge VPNFilter from a router.

— christina capatides, CBS News, "FBI urges internet users to reboot their routers to stop Russia-linked malware," 29 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fire.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of fire

Middle English, from Old English fȳr; akin to Old High German fiur fire, Greek pyr

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

See Words from the same year

fire Synonyms

fire

verb

Definition of fire

fired; firing

transitive verb

1 a : to set on fire : kindle; also : ignite

fire a rocket engine

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

(2) : to propel from or as if from a gun : discharge, launch

fire a rocket

(3) : shoot 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

intransitive verb

1 a : to take fire : kindle, ignite

b : to begin operation : start

the engine fired

c : to operate especially as the result of the application of an electrical impulse

the spark plug fires

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

—

fireable

play \ˈfī(-ə)r-ə-bəl, ˈfī-rə-\ adjective

—

firer

noun

See fire defined for English-language learners

Examples of fire in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of fire from the Web

His final season the squad went 6-10, and he was fired right before the start of training camp in 2017.

— khadrice rollins, SI.com, "Giants General Manager Dave Gettleman Announces He Will Begin Treatment for Lymphoma," 5 June 2018
Trump has frequently tweeted criticism of athletes and NFL players who kneel, painting them as unpatriotic and calling for them to be fired.

— mahita gajanan, Time, "Man Kneels During the National Anthem at President Trump's White House Event," 5 June 2018
Sharapova fired back before Wimbledon by bringing up rumors of Serena dating her coach Patrick Mouratoglou.

— chris chase, For The Win, "Serena v. Sharapova: The brief history of a burning non-rivalry," 4 June 2018
Dorner began a series of attacks against law-enforcement officers and civilians after he was fired from his job as a Los Angeles police officer.

— bree burkitt, azcentral, "'Systematic, deliberate and intentional': Scottsdale shooting update," 3 June 2018
He was fired by President Trump last year after refusing pressure from the White House to resign.

— graeme mcmillan, WIRED, "While You Were Offline: In 2018, Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction," 3 June 2018
He was fired from his law enforcement job in 1979 for shoplifting a can of dog repellent and a hammer from a drugstore.

— nicole chavez, CNN, "DNA that led to Golden State Killer suspect's arrest was collected from his car while he shopped," 2 June 2018
One of the defendants, Mark Cusson, 49, of Southington, was able to file for retirement before he was fired by the state.

— josh kovner, courant.com, "At Scandalized Whiting Forensic Hospital, A Pivotal Hearing: What You Need To Know," 1 June 2018
Instead, Korbelin asserts she was fired without cause and that her production company was destroyed when all of her employees departed to work with the new production company.

— eriq gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, "Hollywood Docket: "Most Interesting Man"; Dr. Luke v. Kesha; 'Goldie and Bear' Lawsuit," 1 June 2018

Origin and Etymology of fire

see ¹fire

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1b(1)

See Words from the same year

fire Synonyms

Synonyms

amp (up), animate, brace, energize, enliven, ginger (up), invigorate, jazz (up), juice up, jump-start, liven (up), pep (up), quicken, spike, stimulate, vitalize, vivify, zip (up);

Antonyms

damp, dampen, deaden, dull, kill;

Near Antonyms

burn out, debilitate, do in, drain, enervate, enfeeble, exhaust, fatigue, harass, kayo, knock out, sap, tucker (out), undermine, wash out, weaken, wear, wear out, weary;

check, curb, inhibit, jade, quell, quench, repress, restrain, slow, still, stunt, suppress;

daunt, demoralize, discourage, dishearten, dispirit;

activate, actuate, drive, impel, motivate, motive, move, propel;

charge, electrify, galvanize;

enkindle, excite, ferment, foment, incite, inflame (also enflame), instigate, kindle, provoke, set off, spark, trigger, turn on, whip (up);

abet, boost, buoy, cheer, embolden, fortify, hearten, infuse, inspire, lift, rally, steel, strengthen;

reactivate, reanimate, reawake, reawaken, recharge, recreate, reenergize, refresh, refreshen, regenerate, reinvigorate, rejuvenate, rekindle, renew, restimulate, resurrect, resuscitate, revitalize, revive;

FIRE

abbreviation

Definition of FIRE

finance, insurance, and real estate

Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, divest, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite

Fire

biographical name \ ˈfī(-ə)r \

Definition of Fire

Andrew Zachary 1959– American geneticist

FIRE Defined for English Language Learners

fire

noun

Definition of fire for English Language Learners

: the light and heat and especially the flame produced by burning
: an occurrence in which something burns : the destruction of something (such as a building or a forest) by fire
: a controlled occurrence of fire created by burning something (such as wood or gas) in a special area (such as in a fireplace or stove)

fire

verb

Definition of fire for English Language Learners

: to shoot a weapon
: to throw (something) with speed and force
: to give life or energy to (something or someone)

FIRE Defined for Kids

fire

noun \ ˈfīr \

Definition of fire for Students

1 : the light and heat and especially the flame produced by burning

2 : fuel that is burning in a controlled setting (as in a fireplace)

3 : the destructive burning of something (as a building)

4 : the shooting of weapons

rifle fire

5 : enthusiasm

— on fire

: actively burning

— under fire

1 : exposed to the firing of enemy guns

2 : under attack

fire

verb

Definition of fire for Students

fired; firing

1 : ¹shoot 2

fire a gun

2 : to dismiss from employment

He was fired from his job.

3 : excite 1, stir

It's a story to fire the imagination.

4 : to subject to great heat

fire pottery

5 : to set off : explode

fire a firecracker

6 : to set on fire

They carelessly fired the barn.

Medical Dictionary

fire

noun, often attributive \ ˈfī(ə)r \

medical Definition of fire

: fever or inflammation especially from a disease

fire

verb

medical Definition of fire

fired; firing

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

: to transmit a nerve impulse