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

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

During a challenge that saw the recruits carrying supplies uphill, Smollett stopped to catch his breath, drawing the ire of a member of the Directing Staff. —Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Sep. 2025

Emma and Jordan have very pointed reactions after being released from Elmira, and Jordan focuses a lot of their ire at Marie. —Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025

Even in this time of hyper partisanship, Carr’s comments drew bipartisan ire. —Matt Fleming, Oc Register, 25 Sep. 2025

What drew particular ire in the budget decision, and gave way to partisan finger-pointing, was the decision not to fund the Veterans Housing and Recovery Program, leading to the shuttering of two of three housing facilities for homeless veterans in Chippewa Falls and Green Bay. —Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 24 Sep. 2025

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