adjective
-
incensed with anger; furious
-
marked by extreme anger
an irate letter
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of irate
First recorded in 1830–40; from Latin īrātus, past participle of īrāscī “to be angry, get angry”; see irascible, -ate 1
Explanation
On the anger scale, first comes annoyed, then vexed, then irate. When cartoon characters are irate, they're so mad that smoke comes out of their ears. The first syllable of irate is ir for ire, related to the Greek word oistros which means "thing causing madness." An irate investor might sell all his or her stock in a company. Let's hope you thanked your aunt for the birthday check — otherwise you might get an irate phone call from her. When your mother is irate, you'd best get out of the way, and get busy cleaning your room.
Vocabulary lists containing irate
ASVAB Word Knowledge
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 5
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Irate, the woman shrieked, shoved something in the holding cell toilet and started frantically flushing to flood the cell.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2025
Irate passengers, however, saw the incident in a different light.
From BBC • Jan. 28, 2024
Irate over Waldon’s earlier rejection of the petition, activists had filed a lawsuit against the city Tuesday and asked a judge to force Waldon to approve the form.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 21, 2023
Irate after blind-side hit fells Evgeny Kuznetsov, Caps falter vs.
From Washington Post • Mar. 20, 2023
"Irate husband is good!" laughed Embury, "considering we are yet honeymooners."
From Raspberry Jam by Wells, Carolyn
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
