ire 1 of 2

ire

2 of 2

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

Examples 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
The owner of UnitedHealthcare reported record full-year revenue but lower profits for 2024, just weeks after the brazen killing of a top executive inflamed the national ire against insurance companies. Nathan Bomey, Axios, 16 Jan. 2025 Amazon and its founder, Jeff Bezos, have been prominent targets of Trump ire over the years. Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 13 Jan. 2025 But unlike New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who was spared Homan’s ire after backing a plan to focus on deporting violent immigrants in the country without legal status, Johnson’s political brand hinges on leftist bona fides that position him as a progressive foil to Trump. Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jan. 2025 The drama between Davis and Crawford began when Crawford seemingly reacted to Davis expressing his ire over not receiving an invitation to The Ring Awards, an event celebrating the best moments in boxing over the past year, on social media. Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 15 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for ire 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ire
Noun
  • Not only was Allen a known conservative, but his series spoke to the same sense of righteous indignation felt by the MAGA clan.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 8 Jan. 2025
  • This seemingly small, personal decision triggers absolute indignation in her husband, parents, and siblings.
    Ilana Masad, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • But in a surprising twist — one that angered Judge Timothy Fancourt — both sides on Tuesday asked for more time to thrash out a deal.
    Max Taylor, NBC News, 22 Jan. 2025
  • Otherwise, the only other fix is charging more, which presents the risk of angering customers and decreasing revenue.
    Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Bruno Fernandes volleyed in a stoppage-time winner, saving United’s electrical equipment from Ruben Amorim’s wrath and keeping them in shape to progress to the round of 16 automatically.
    Phil Hay, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025
  • Georgia pecan farmers also suffered from the wrath of Helene, losing nearly a third of the state’s annual harvest.
    Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • And coming around once every four years to beg for votes is both insulting and infuriating.
    Kristen Waggoner, Newsweek, 21 Jan. 2025
  • The proposals infuriated members of the Freedom Caucus, many of whom had engaged in those kind of rebellious actions over the past two years.
    Emily Brooks, The Hill, 21 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Portugal saw a massive spike in prices and rents in the residential sector, where investors bought and rented out their residential properties; this sparked outrage among the locals and led to massive protests.
    Raheel Sheikh, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
  • The outrage over the referee assignment is a continuation of the belief in some circles that NFL game officials help the Chiefs.
    Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 16 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The non-call on the play left Flyers coach John Tortorella, who is notoriously known for wearing his emotions on his sleeve, enraged.
    Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
  • But while presidents in both parties saw this as a necessity to prevent more conflicts within the Western Hemisphere, the idea of giving the canal to Panama enraged the right.
    Aaron Coy Moulton / Made by History, TIME, 16 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • In recent years, officials have endured public fury while dining out in the district.
    Korsha Wilson, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025
  • And yes, mashing the pedal to the firewall will summon the whole powertrain’s fury in a pinch … but that defeats the purpose of trying to go green.
    Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 16 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Turn on the soundtrack loud and rage against the injustice.
    Megan McCluskey, TIME, 23 Jan. 2025
  • With the movie itself proving its might across three different categories, Morris’ absence begs the question: How? —Joey Nolfi 12 of 13 SNUB: Challengers score Time to compress and repress your rage, as the Academy pulled the aux cord out from one of the best original scores of 2024.
    Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 23 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near ire

Cite this Entry

“Ire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ire. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on ire

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!