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
as in to anger
to make angry
nothing ires him more than having to wait for his dinner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 22 Mar. 2026
California state senator Scott Wiener, who’s drawn the ire of Silicon Valley for his bills regulating AI, has come out with a new bill that some venture capitalists are actually supporting.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2026
Around a half hour of public comment followed the announcement, as speakers voiced both disappointment in the teacher’s departure and ire over the post to his personal social media.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ire
Noun
This drew the ire of the AAP, which went as far as to release its own schedule in August 2025, saying the federal process was no longer credible.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 22 Mar. 2026
California state senator Scott Wiener, who’s drawn the ire of Silicon Valley for his bills regulating AI, has come out with a new bill that some venture capitalists are actually supporting.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
The controversial project The prospect of an ICE detention center in a Kansas City warehouse has drawn criticism and ire for weeks.
—Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2026
Around a half hour of public comment followed the announcement, as speakers voiced both disappointment in the teacher’s departure and ire over the post to his personal social media.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ire
Noun
-
Those calls have been met with eye-rolling and righteous indignation.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
-
But this indignation ignores what Chalamet was actually saying.—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Or simply anger that any parent would have to suffer the agony of having a missing child.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The first major nationwide protests against the Islamic regime began in June 2009, with demonstrators angered by the fraudulent presidential election.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
My refusal to accept his drinking has led him to cast his wrath upon me on occasion.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Washington Post,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Mullin will also face congressional Democrats’ wrath as lawmakers on Capitol Hill have already begun to investigate DHS for the massive contracts to individuals and companies that were inexperienced, had connections to Noem’s staff, or contained other irregularities.—
Anna Giaritelli,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The plaintiffs’ lawyers also have complained that delays infuriate their clients, who expect higher payouts as cases drag on.—
Joe Mahr,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The liberal Democratic governor, whose strict gun control measures have long infuriated gun owners, this week filed a bill to allow Sunday hunting and expand crossbow hunting, long overdue moves that aimed to shore up one of her biggest weaknesses in an election year.—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Yet session after session, the result has been the same — agencies receive their annual appropriations, public outrage over long security lines and flight delays fades, legislation languishes and workers have no guarantees their paychecks won't stop coming again.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
No amount of outrageousness can mask the outrage.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
News of its $1,500-a-person price tag particularly enraged skeptical locals.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2026
-
And though voting for the award ended before his latest controversy—a comment about opera and ballet that enraged those communities, Chalamet didn’t go into the 98th Academy Awards as the favorite.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But while both Horvath and Heilman backed the compromise struck with Bass, many residents and public transit advocates expressed fury at the amendment.—
National Correspondent,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Intense fury over Jackson County property assessments.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
That rage drove her away from King’s politics of nonviolence and toward a more militant ideology.—
Zayd Ayers Dohrn,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Curled, effortless updos have been all the rage lately, from Kerry Washington and LaTanya Richardson Jackson to Olandria Carthen.—
Essence,
Essence,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ire. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
