ire

1 of 2

noun

ˈī(-ə)r 

: intense and usually openly displayed anger

ire transitive verb

ireful

ˈī(-ə)r-fəl 

adjective

Ire

2 of 2

abbreviation

Ireland

Synonyms

Noun

• anger
• angriness
• birse [chiefly Scottish]
• choler
• furor
• fury
• indignation
• irateness
• lividity
• lividness
• mad
• madness
• mood [archaic]
• outrage
• rage
• spleen
• wrath
• wrathfulness

Choose the Right Synonym for ire

anger, ire, rage, fury, indignation, wrath mean an intense emotional state induced by displeasure.

anger, the most general term, names the reaction but by itself does not convey cause or intensity.

tried to hide his anger

ire, more frequent in literary contexts, suggests an intense anger, often with an evident display of feeling.

cheeks flushed with ire

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

shook with rage

could not contain his fury

indignation stresses righteous anger at what one considers unfair, mean, or shameful.

a comment that caused general indignation

wrath is likely to suggest a desire or intent to punish or get revenge.

I feared her wrath if I was discovered

Examples of ire in a Sentence

Noun

He directed his ire at the coworkers who reported the incident.

the patronizing comment from the snooty waiter roused her ire

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Australian swimmer, who earned the ire of 23-time American gold medalist Michael Phelps last week for bragging about beating Team USA at the 2023 World Championships, finished seventh place in the 50m freestyle at the 2024 Australian Swimming Trials on Saturday, June 15. —Sean Neumann, Peoplemag, 24 June 2024

That certainly was the target of Maurice’s ire afterward. —Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 19 June 2024

The news quickly raised ire among young Americans who frequently use TikTok. —Faith E. Pinho, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2024

The use of subsidies and tariffs in support of the energy transition is increasing the ire of developing countries. —Meghan L. O’Sullivan and Jason Bordoff, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin ira; perhaps akin to Greek oistros gadfly, frenzy

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

ire

noun

ˈī(ə)r 

: anger entry 1

ire verb

ireful

-fəl 

adjective

irefully

-fə-lē

adverb