fire

1 a destructive burning a number of suspicious fires in the neighborhood recently Synonyms of fire conflagration, holocaust, inferno Words Related to fire 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 of fire ardency, emotion, enthusiasm, fervency, fervidness, fervor, ardor, heat, intenseness, intensity, passion, passionateness, vehemence, violence, warmth, white heatWords Related to fire 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 of fire aloofness, calmness, collectedness, composure, detachedness, dryness, phlegm, reserve, reservedness, reticence, taciturnity; apathy, indifference, stoicism, stoniness, unconcern; stiffness, woodenness; chilliness, coldness, coolness, frigidity, frigidnessAntonyms of fire 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 of fire cross, crucible, trial, gauntlet (also gantlet), ordealWords Related to fire 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 of fire blast, discharge, shoot, loose, squeeze offWords Related to fire 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 of fire blast, discharge, shootWords Related to fire 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 of fire 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)Words Related to fire 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 of fire 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 of fire damp, dampen, deaden, dull, kill

4 to let go from office, service, or employment fired the secretary for incompetence Synonyms of fire ax (or axe), bounce, can, cashier, discharge, dismiss, muster out, pink-slip, release, remove, retire, sack, terminate, turn offWords Related to fire downsize, excess, furlough, lay off, trim; boot (out), chuck (out), drum (out), kick out, throw out, unseat; separateNear Antonyms of fire keep; reemploy, rehire; contract, subcontract; recruitAntonyms of fire 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 of fire cast, catapult, chuck, dash, throw, fling, heave, hurl, hurtle, launch, lob, loft, peg, pelt, pitch, sling, tossWords Related to fire 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 of fire enkindle, burn, ignite, inflame (also enflame), kindle, light, torchWords Related to fire 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 of fire choke, smother, suffocate; stamp (out); blacken, darken, dim, dull, obscureAntonyms of fire douse (also dowse), extinguish, put out, quench, snuff (out)