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ire

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verb

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
At the conclusion of a two-day policy meeting Wednesday, Powell — a target of Trump’s ire because the Fed has kept interest rates high — kept interest rates high again. David Goldman, CNN Money, 1 Aug. 2025 Yet Torres said Trump was likely to be unable to put tariffs questions fully behind him even after Friday’s deadline, especially if countries start to pique his ire. Steve Kopack, NBC news, 1 Aug. 2025 Hoffa was a celebrity and controversial figure during his time as a union leader, attracting ire from the Kennedys and the Mafia alike. Jessica Sager, People.com, 30 July 2025 De Moraes last year drew the ire of mega-billionaire Elon Musk, who at the time was a close ally over Trump, by blocking Musk's X social media platform nationwide in Brazil for failing to comply with orders banning some user accounts and to remove certain content. Dan Mangan, CNBC, 30 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for ire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ire
Noun
  • At the heart of Nugent’s indignation was the 2021 sting operation that entangled him and three other landowners in a legal battle with the DNR.
    Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 30 July 2025
  • That indignation, those headlines, the praise for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s bravery and leadership cooling dramatically since those early days–in Europe and America.
    Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Verb
  • In light of Collins recently being hospitalized for knee surgery, his fans were actually jarred and angered by an AI image of McCartney supposedly visiting him under far more dire circumstances.
    David Browne, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2025
  • Meanwhile, Russia stood back when Azerbaijan reclaimed control of Karabakh in the September 2023 offensive, angering Armenia, which has moved to shed Russian influence and turn westward.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The episode also teases Cartman’s wrath at Bebe, another student at South Park Elementary.
    Katie Campione, Deadline, 29 July 2025
  • Countries that didn’t knuckle under — and those that found other ways to incur Trump’s wrath — got hit harder.
    Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • One of the stranger conspiracies to emerge from the absurd, infuriating intervening years is the insistence by some that, owing to shadowy weather-manipulating entities, the sky has changed for the worse.
    Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2025
  • Instead, a newspaper reporter got wind of the scheme and published the details, which infuriated the lottery's oversight board.
    John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
Noun
  • France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States were among countries to express outrage, and Israel's foreign ministry announced that the U.N. Security Council will hold a special session Aug. 5 on the hostages in Gaza.
    Nidal al-Mughrabi, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2025
  • This, and the revisions to May and June's data—which the agency said resulted from subsequent reports from businesses and government agencies—prompted outrage from the president.
    Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • After almost zero wheedling, Fairburn gives Wednesday some real dirt: Galpin visited Tyler once, and the interaction enraged Tyler beyond anything the doctor had ever seen before.
    Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2025
  • That deal, which has often led to a massive spending bill known as an omnibus negotiated by House and Senate leaders, enrages conservatives who complain most lawmakers are left out of the process.
    Aris Folley, The Hill, 5 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • And sure, heartbreak is universal, but to borrow another phrase: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and Olivia Rodrigo is currently one of its loudest voices (again, a compliment).
    Jessi Roti, Chicago Tribune, 2 Aug. 2025
  • After one of the district’s last historic buildings was torn down in recent years, sparking fury and outcry, a movement began with an eye toward rebuilding Chinatown, and the DCVC was founded.
    Duante Beddingfield, Freep.com, 26 July 2025
Noun
  • The Rainmaker is a taut thriller driven by relentless cynicism toward the state of the legal profession and simmering rage at the state of the health insurance industry.
    Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2025
  • As protests rage at home, Iran's theocratic government is increasingly flexing its military muscle abroad.
    Amira El-Fekki‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ire. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

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