ire 1 of 2

noun

ˈī(-ə)r How to pronounce ire (audio)
Definition of irenext
as in indignation
an intense emotional state of displeasure with someone or something the patronizing comment from the snooty waiter roused her ire

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ire

2 of 2

verb

as in to anger
to make angry nothing ires him more than having to wait for his dinner

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun ire differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of ire are anger, fury, indignation, rage, and wrath. While all these words mean "an intense emotional state induced by displeasure," ire, more frequent in literary contexts, suggests an intense anger, often with an evident display of feeling.

cheeks flushed with ire

In what contexts can anger take the place of ire?

While the synonyms anger and ire are close in meaning, anger, the most general term, names the reaction but by itself does not convey cause or intensity.

tried to hide his anger

When is it sensible to use indignation instead of ire?

In some situations, the words indignation and ire are roughly equivalent. However, indignation stresses righteous anger at what one considers unfair, mean, or shameful.

a comment that caused general indignation

How are the words rage and fury related as synonyms of ire?

Both rage and fury suggest loss of self-control from violence of emotion.

shook with rage
could not contain his fury

Where would wrath be a reasonable alternative to ire?

While in some cases nearly identical to ire, wrath is likely to suggest a desire or intent to punish or get revenge.

I feared her wrath if I was discovered

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ire
Noun
Taiwan’s attendance at summits has provoked China's ire before, with the issue resulting in partner countries being barred from attending last year’s meeting in Solomon Islands. — ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026 While Palo Alto's penchant for M & A sometimes draws the market's ire , Arora's track record is rather excellent, including the performance of CyberArk in identity security and Chronosphere in observability. — Kevin Stankiewicz,zev Fima, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026
Verb
The plan has drawn disapproval from members of the public and ire from architectural and conservation groups, one of which sued to block it back in December. — Rachel Treisman, NPR, 3 Apr. 2026 Of two Montana homesteaders at war over a gate installed on a private road, one is a nerd culture YouTuber who directs his fans’ ire toward the ever-present thorn in his side. — Alison Herman, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ire
  1. indignation
  2. anger
  3. wrath
  4. infuriate
  5. outrage
  6. enrage
  7. fury
  8. rage
Noun
  • On cue, China expressed indignation about anti-missile deployments.
    — Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Mind you, Miss Manners agrees with your indignation at this fraudulent maneuver.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 21 July 2026
Definition of indignation
Verb
  • Sánchez is facing mounting scrutiny amid a prolonged humanitarian crisis in Ceuta, where the flood of thousands of migrants has angered residents in the tiny community, which is ill-equipped to handle such an influx.
    — Suman Naishadham, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Prosecutors argued Monday that Kading’s disclosures angered Davis.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of anger
Noun
  • Despite Erasmus’s wrath, the Renaissance cut-and-pasters were on a roll—for a while.
    — Mario Carpo, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • There are a couple of shocking narrative twists at the end, with Alice potentially unleashing her wrath, and the revelation of Catherine’s role in Isabel’s death.
    — Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of wrath
Verb
  • The White House’s abrupt decision last week to ease tariffs on 300,000 metric tons — more than 660 million pounds — of foreign beef imports has infuriated American cattle ranchers and congressional Republicans alike.
    — Jane Onyanga-Omara, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The heated rhetoric has infuriated and astonished most Canadians; in a recent poll, seventy-six per cent supported the decision of the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, to walk away from trade talks with Washington.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of infuriate
Noun
  • After outrage in Hollywood, the studio reversed course and allowed director Dave Green to shop the project around.
    — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • However, the reaction on Capitol Hill — where Coupang has mounted an extensive lobbying effort — has not been universal outrage.
    — Justin Papp, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of outrage
Verb
  • The hiring of the Catalan content creator, however, has only served to enrage the public, rather than enticing them to watch the race.
    — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The comment at a rally last Sunday titillated, provoked and enraged different audiences simultaneously, all but guaranteeing saturation news coverage and even more attention.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of enrage
Noun
  • Yiannopoulos’ acerbic and at times hateful speech attracted the fury of students who argued his views should not be platformed.
    — Eduardo Cuevas, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Citizen, published two months after Brown’s killing, seemed to channel that righteous fury.
    — Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of fury
Noun
  • Even among the worldliest of us, an unexpected roundabout can trigger a fireworks-and-bald-eagles display of patriotic rage.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Pushing boundaries for new radiopharmaceuticals Radiopharmaceuticals are all the rage in some biotech circles, but some voices of caution are saying slow down.
    — Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of rage

Browse Nearby Words

irateness
ire
ired
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ire. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All