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

Trump’s ire with Brazil also stems from its role in the BRICS Alliance, a global trade bloc representing around 45 percent of the world’s population and a sizable portion of its GDP. —Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 7 May 2026

Notably, one of the senators who drew the president's ire, Greg Goode, won his primary against Brenda Wilson, who Trump endorsed, and Alexandra Wilson, a network engineer (and not related to Brenda). —Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 6 May 2026

The project drew ire from architecture and historical preservation groups, one of which sued the administration to prevent construction. —Rachel Treisman, NPR, 4 May 2026

The behavior quickly drew the ire of museum donors and board members for their disregard for the museum’s strict non-smoking policy and the potential risk the smoke posed to the priceless art collections, per Page Six. —Alyssa Modos, PEOPLE, 4 May 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