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

• anger
• angriness
• birse [chiefly Scottish]
• choler
• furor
• fury
• indignation
• irateness
• lividity
• lividness
• mad
• madness
• mood [archaic]
• outrage
• rage
• spleen
• wrath
• wrathfulness

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

The Greek gods had secret affairs; for centuries, women in central China wrote to each other in a secret language to evade the ire of oppressive husbands. —Hazlitt, 3 Apr. 2024

The findings drew the ire of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I–Vt.) and will place scrutiny on Novo’s pricing strategy. —Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune Europe, 2 Apr. 2024

The citywide property transfer tax took effect last year to fund affordable housing and has drawn the ire of the real estate industry. —Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024

When both men contract COVID-19, David is faulted for the cancellation of Springsteen’s final stop on his farewell tour and must face the ire of his fans. —Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 1 Apr. 2024

This has drawn the ire of some Bravo fans, who have higher expectations of Richards and RHOBH after investing in the show for thirteen seasons. —Louis Staples, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2024

Editors’ Picks Some pushback from China over the deaths of the two Chinese men on Feb. 14 near Kinmen was foreseeable, especially given that Taiwan is always kindling for nationalist ire. —Amy Chang Chien, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2024

Gilmore goes on to become a golf legend, but his outrageous temperament and untraditional style catches the ire of golf pro Shooter McGavin (McDonald). —Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024

Various other aspects of the show, from its casting and visual effects to the radical changes to the story’s original setting and characters, also attracted the ire of Chinese social media users. —Nectar Gan, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024

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

Kids Definition

ire

noun

ˈī(ə)r 

: anger entry 1

ire verb

ireful

-fəl 

adjective

irefully

-fə-lē

adverb