irate

adjective

ī-ˈrāt 

ˈī-ˌrāt,

i-ˈrāt

1

: roused to ire

an irate taxpayer

2

: arising from anger

irate words

irately adverb

irateness noun

Synonyms

• angered
• angry
• apoplectic
• ballistic
• cheesed off [chiefly British]
• choleric
• enraged
• foaming
• fuming
• furious
• hopping
• horn-mad
• hot
• incensed
• indignant
• inflamed
• enflamed
• infuriate
• infuriated
• ireful
• livid
• mad
• outraged
• rabid
• rankled
• riled
• riley
• roiled
• shirty [chiefly British]
• sore
• steamed up
• steaming
• teed off
• ticked
• wrathful
• wroth

Examples of irate in a Sentence

Irate viewers called the television network to complain about the show.

the big increase in cable rates prompted a flood of irate calls and letters

Recent Examples on the Web

The passenger in front was becoming visibly irate according to the user, but thankfully a flight attendant noticed the situation before things became too heated and moved the tall passenger to the much wider emergency exit row. —Kirsty Hatcher, People.com, 15 Apr. 2025

Smith’s initial attempt at a handmade bat didn’t go well, and Holman was irate. —Zack Meisel, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025

Some lawmakers been bombarded with constituent phone calls and berated at town halls by voters irate at the dramatic cuts to the federal government. —Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2025

So, for now, umpires, batters, and the occasional irate manager can still meet at home plate to snarl over balls and strike calls. —Julia Andersen, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for irate

• abate
• airfreight
• await
• baseplate
• berate
• birthdate
• birthrate
• bookplate
• borate
• breastplate
• bromate
• casemate

Kids Definition

irate

adjective

ī-ˈrāt 

: angry sense 1a

irately adverb

irateness noun