ire

1 of 2

noun

ˈī(-ə)r 

: intense and usually openly displayed anger

ire transitive verb

ireful

ˈī(-ə)r-fəl 

adjective

Ire

2 of 2

abbreviation

Ireland

Synonyms of ire

Noun

• indignation
• anger
• wrath
• outrage
• fury
• rage

Choose the Right Synonym for ire

anger, ire, rage, fury, indignation, wrath mean an intense emotional state induced by displeasure.

anger, the most general term, names the reaction but by itself does not convey cause or intensity.

tried to hide his anger

ire, more frequent in literary contexts, suggests an intense anger, often with an evident display of feeling.

cheeks flushed with ire

rage and fury suggest loss of self-control from violence of emotion.

shook with rage

could not contain his fury

indignation stresses righteous anger at what one considers unfair, mean, or shameful.

a comment that caused general indignation

wrath is likely to suggest a desire or intent to punish or get revenge.

I feared her wrath if I was discovered

Examples of ire in a Sentence

Noun

He directed his ire at the coworkers who reported the incident.

the patronizing comment from the snooty waiter roused her ire

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

There may be a strain of Ludditism at work, but Flock has drawn ire all over, from billionaire playgrounds like East Hampton to major cities like Los Angeles—where Mayor Karen Bass pushed the city’s police department to cut ties with the company. — Andrew Zucker, Vanity Fair, 14 Aug. 2026

Still, Trent McCotter, the principal associate attorney general, drew Garaufis’ ire. — Chloe Atkins, NBC news, 11 Aug. 2026

But because the rollout was completely divorced from the human element—marginalizing local drivers, drawing ire from fire departments whose emergency vehicles were repeatedly blocked and offering zero upside to residents—public retaliation followed. — Jason Dressel, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026

Piker says the ire from Democrats started ramping up during Mamdani’s race and has only intensified since. — Josh Eells, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ire

• dire
• lyre
• mire
• quire
• spire
• squire
• admire
• afire
• aspire
• backfire
• esquire
• expire

Kids Definition

ire

noun

ˈī(ə)r 

: anger entry 1

ire verb

ireful

-fəl 

adjective

irefully

-fə-lē

adverb