fire

1 of 3

noun

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)
fireless adjective

fire

2 of 3

verb

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 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

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 adjective
firer noun

FIRE

3 of 3

abbreviation

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
3
: 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.

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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Residents in all six of the occupied units were displaced by the fire. Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2024 The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for the entire panhandle through midnight today after rain and snow on Thursday allowed firefighters to contain a portion of the fire. Graham Underwood, arkansasonline.com, 3 Mar. 2024 As of Friday, the cause of the fire remained under investigation. Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 3 Mar. 2024 Photo: Courtesy Everett Collection An industrious housewife fights for survival after her husband (Jake Gyllenhaal) leaves her and her son (Ed Oxenbould) to tackle forest fires in Montana in this stunning domestic drama from Paul Dano. Radhika Seth, Vogue, 3 Mar. 2024 And the fire is just one of five blazes currently scorching the Texas panhandle. Zoe Sottile, CNN, 2 Mar. 2024 Jackson Hole, Wyoming What could be more romantic than snuggling up by the fire after a day out in the snow? Claudia Fisher, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2024 Emotions are sure to be running high as the home team will also be paying tribute to the 10 people who passed away in a fire in a residential building in the city in late February, and protests against the club’s owner, Peter Lim, are also expected by fans ahead of kick-off. Sam Leveridge, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 Animal protection organizations and state fire agencies warned of the dangers that wildfires present for animals. Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024
Verb
Obayashi said the discovery of guns in the home is not reason enough for the officer to have fired his weapon. Katie Mettler, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024 Ruff was fired by the Devils on Monday after the team fell to 30-27-4 after losses to Anaheim and Los Angeles, leaving them seven points out of a playoff spot. Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 On Sunday, around 6 p.m., police officers responded to a report of shots fired at a residence in the 200 block of North 2nd Street. Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024 But firing an employee over their social media posts might distract other workers and hurt morale. Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024 Since then, according to Manila, China’s coast guard has regularly harassed Philippine fishing vessels in the fertile waters near Scarborough Shoal – most recently on February 22 – and fired water cannon on Philippine ships resupplying a military outpost in the Second Thomas Shoal. Kathleen Magramo, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 In the meme wars on social media, the campaign promoted illustrations of Biden as a political mastermind, firing lasers from his eyes. Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 For example, some of the most frequent problems workers’ compensation claimants run into are delays in claim processing, combative employers who may even engage in retaliatory behavior against claimants like firing them, low-ball offers from workers’ compensation insurers, and claim denials. David Stubblefield, The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2024 Mercedes-Benz is accused of firing two Alabama workers who requested time off for medical reasons, federal officials say. Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024

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

Dictionary Entries Near fire

Cite this Entry

“Fire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fire. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fire

1 of 2 noun
1
: 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
a
: to set on fire : kindle, ignite
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
a
: to cause to be driven from or as if from a gun : launch
fire an arrow
fire a rocket
b
: to shoot off a firearm : discharge
c
: to throw with speed : hurl
fired the ball to first base
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

1 of 2 noun
often attributive
: fever or inflammation especially from a disease

fire

2 of 2 verb
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
the rate at which a neuron fires

Biographical Definition

Fire

biographical name

Andrew Zachary 1959–     American geneticist

More from Merriam-Webster on fire

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