fire

1 a destructive burning a number of suspicious fires in the neighborhood recently Synonyms conflagration, holocaust, inferno Related Words blaze, flare-up; backfire, bonfire, brush fire, campfire, forest fire, wildfire; arson

2 depth of feeling had she the fire in her heart that a run for the White House requires? Synonyms ardency, emotion, enthusiasm, fervency, fervidness, fervor, ardor, heat, intenseness, intensity, passion, passionateness, vehemence, violence, warmth, white heatRelated Words cathexis; emotionalism, emotionality, histrionics, mawkishness, melodrama, sappiness, sentimentality; eagerness, earnestness, excitement, gusto, keenness, zest; fanaticism, fever, hot-bloodedness, infatuation, mania, obsession, zeal; compassion, responsiveness, sentiment, sympathy, tenderness; torridity, torridnessNear Antonyms aloofness, calmness, collectedness, composure, detachedness, dryness, phlegm, reserve, reservedness, reticence, taciturnity; apathy, indifference, stoicism, stoniness, unconcern; stiffness, woodenness; chilliness, coldness, coolness, frigidity, frigidnessAntonyms impassiveness, impassivity, insensibility, insensibleness, insensitiveness, insensitivity

3 a test of faith, patience, or strength asked to be sent to the front lines, as he was eager to prove himself in the fire of battle Synonyms cross, crucible, trial, gauntlet (also gantlet), ordealRelated Words baptism, initiation; adversity, affliction, asperity, misadventure, mischance, misfortune, mishap, privation, tragedy, tribulation, trouble, vicissitude, woe; acid test, litmus test; challenge, complication, difficulty, grief, grievance, hardship, rigor; annoyance, discomfort, inconvenience, nuisance

1 to cause (a projectile) to be driven forward with force police officers firing rubber bullets Synonyms blast, discharge, shoot, loose, squeeze offRelated Words launch, project; blaze (at), snipe (at); cast, catapult, fling, heave, hurl, hurtle, lob, pelt, pitch, sling, throw, toss

2 to cause a weapon to release a missile with great force soldiers fired at the enemy in panic-stricken disorder Synonyms blast, discharge, shootRelated Words blaze, pepper; plink, potshot, snipe

3 to give life, vigor, or spirit to a school outing to the natural history museum fired his imagination, and he grew up to become an eminent paleontologist Synonyms amp (up), brace, energize, enliven, fillip, animate, ginger (up), invigorate, jazz (up), juice up, jump-start, liven (up), pep (up), quicken, spike, stimulate, vitalize, vivify, zip (up)Related Words arouse, awake, awaken, raise, rouse, stir, wake (up); activate, actuate, drive, impel, motivate, motive, move, propel; charge, electrify, galvanize; enkindle, excite, ferment, foment, incite, inflame (also enflame), instigate, kindle, provoke, set off, spark, trigger, turn on, whip (up); abet, boost, buoy, cheer, embolden, fortify, hearten, infuse, inspire, lift, rally, steel, strengthen; reactivate, reanimate, reawake, reawaken, recharge, recreate, reenergize, refresh, refreshen, regenerate, reinvigorate, rejuvenate, rekindle, renew, restimulate, resurrect, resuscitate, revitalize, reviveNear Antonyms burn out, debilitate, do in, drain, enervate, enfeeble, exhaust, fag, fatigue, harass, kayo, knock out, sap, tucker (out), undermine, wash out, weaken, wear, wear out, weary; check, curb, inhibit, jade, quell, quench, repress, restrain, slow, still, stunt, suppress; daunt, demoralize, discourage, dishearten, dispiritAntonyms damp, dampen, deaden, dull, kill

4 to let go from office, service, or employment fired the secretary for incompetence Synonyms ax (or axe), bounce, can, cashier, discharge, dismiss, muster out, pink-slip, release, remove, retire, sack, terminate, turn offRelated Words downsize, excess, furlough, lay off, trim; boot (out), chuck (out), drum (out), kick out, throw out, unseat; separateNear Antonyms keep; reemploy, rehire; contract, subcontract; recruitAntonyms employ, engage, hire, retain, sign (up or on), take on

5 to send through the air especially with a quick forward motion of the arm fired a pass to the running back Synonyms cast, catapult, chuck, dash, throw, fling, heave, hurl, hurtle, launch, lob, loft, peg, pelt, pitch, sling, tossRelated Words bowl, dart, flip, gun, hook, pass, roll, shoot; buck, eject, impel, precipitate, project, propel, rifle, thrust

6 to set (something) on fire lit some kindling before attempting to fire the logs Synonyms enkindle, burn, ignite, inflame (also enflame), kindle, light, torchRelated Words immolate; deflagrate; char, frizzle, scorch; bake, broil, cook; ash, cremate, incinerate, kiln; set off; brighten, illuminate, illumine, irradiate, lighten, radiate; scald, scathe, sear; reignite, rekindle, relight; bank, stokeNear Antonyms choke, smother, suffocate; stamp (out); blacken, darken, dim, dull, obscureAntonyms douse (also dowse), extinguish, put out, quench, snuff (out)