Synonyms of firing

firing 1 of 2

noun

ˈfī-riŋ 

as in blasting

a directed propelling of a missile by a firearm or artillery piece

found a flaw in the gun's firing

Synonyms & Similar Words

• blasting
• bombardment
• barrage
• shot
• discharge
• volley
• burst
• blitz
• salvo
• fusillade
• hail
• cannonade
• potshot
• shower
• blitzkrieg
• broadside
• drumfire
• storm

firing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of fire

1

as in shooting

to cause (a projectile) to be driven forward with force

police officers firing rubber bullets

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shooting
• launching
• throwing
• blasting
• discharging
• hurling
• loosing
• projecting
• squeezing off
• tossing
• casting
• flinging
• slinging
• blazing (at)
• sniping (at)
• heaving
• pelting
• hurtling
• lobbing
• catapulting
• pitching

2

as in discharging

to cause a weapon to release a missile with great force

soldiers fired at the enemy in panic-stricken disorder

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shooting
• blasting
• discharging
• blazing
• peppering
• sniping
• potshotting
• plinking

3

as in stimulating

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 & Similar Words

• stimulating
• stirring
• animating
• spiking
• arousing
• activating
• provoking
• energizing
• driving
• triggering
• electrifying
• lifting
• bracing
• awakening
• jump-starting
• cheering
• enlivening
• invigorating
• exciting
• quickening
• sparking
• charging
• reviving
• vivifying
• recreating
• vitalizing
• raising
• filliping
• propelling
• motivating
• moving
• inspiring
• rousing
• strengthening
• jazzing (up)
• awaking
• rallying
• boosting
• zipping (up)
• pepping (up)
• livening (up)
• amping (up)
• juicing up
• motiving
• gingering (up)
• resurrecting
• actuating
• galvanizing
• renewing
• waking (up)
• inciting
• kindling
• enflaming
• fomenting
• instigating
• refreshing
• fermenting
• inflaming
• setting off
• infusing
• impelling
• regenerating
• enkindling
• recharging
• buoying
• reactivating
• rekindling
• whipping (up)
• reinvigorating
• emboldening
• turning on
• reenergizing
• reawakening
• restimulating
• fortifying
• revitalizing
• resuscitating
• reanimating
• abetting
• rejuvenating
• steeling
• reawaking
• heartening
• re-energizing
• refreshening

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• killing
• wearing
• damping
• dampening
• deadening
• undermining
• harassing
• draining
• dulling
• weakening
• exhausting
• checking
• sapping
• burning out
• restraining
• wearing out
• knocking out
• debilitating
• slowing
• inhibiting
• enervating
• suppressing
• doing in
• washing out
• fatiguing
• quenching
• curbing
• wearying
• repressing
• stunting
• quelling
• enfeebling
• stilling
• discouraging
• fagging
• kayoing
• demoralizing
• tuckering (out)
• disheartening
• daunting
• jading
• dispiriting

4

as in sacking

to let go from office, service, or employment

fired the secretary for incompetence

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sacking
• removing
• dismissing
• retiring
• releasing
• discharging
• terminating
• axing
• bouncing
• canning
• mustering out
• pink-slipping
• turning off
• downsizing
• cashiering
• showing (someone) the door
• sending packing
• trimming
• laying off
• furloughing
• excessing
• separating
• unseating
• kicking out
• drumming (out)
• booting (out)
• chucking (out)
• throwing out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hiring
• employing
• retaining
• engaging
• keeping
• signing (up or on)
• taking on
• rehiring
• contracting
• recruiting
• subcontracting
• reemploying
• re-employing

5

as in throwing

to send through the air especially with a quick forward motion of the arm

fired a pass to the running back

Synonyms & Similar Words

• throwing
• hurling
• tossing
• flinging
• slinging
• launching
• casting
• bowling
• heaving
• hurtling
• chucking
• lobbing
• pelting
• pitching
• pegging
• catapulting
• darting
• dashing
• flipping
• lofting
• gunning
• rolling
• letting fly
• shooting
• ejecting
• thrusting
• precipitating
• passing
• projecting
• propelling
• hooking
• bucking
• rifling
• impelling

6

as in burning

to set (something) on fire

lit some kindling before attempting to fire the logs

Synonyms & Similar Words

• burning
• igniting
• scorching
• lighting
• torching
• kindling
• inflaming
• baking
• enflaming
• illuminating
• enkindling
• illumining
• cooking
• charring
• broiling
• incinerating
• immolating
• lightening
• deflagrating
• stoking
• brightening
• setting off
• ashing
• searing
• irradiating
• rekindling
• radiating
• cremating
• scalding
• scathing
• relighting
• kilning
• frizzling
• reigniting
• banking

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• extinguishing
• quenching
• choking
• putting out
• smothering
• suffocating
• dousing
• stamping (out)
• darkening
• dowsing
• snuffing (out)
• obscuring
• dimming
• blackening
• dulling

Examples of firing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Conservative Christian legal advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom announced the settlement Monday, saying the school board also cleared Peter Vlaming's firing from his record. —CBS News, 2 Oct. 2024

The firings, which took place last week, were first reported by the Financial Times. —Clare Duffy, CNN, 17 Oct. 2024

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Saleh was actually escorted out of the Jets’ facility by security after learning of his firing. —Vincent Frank, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024

The organization had previously obtained an audio recording of Dobbins that led to his firing. —Alanna Durkin Richer and Michael Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2024