ireful

American  

[ahyuhr-fuhl] / ˈaɪər fəl /

adjective

1. full of intense anger; wrathful.

2. easily roused to anger; irascible.

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Other Word Forms

• irefulness
  noun
• irefully
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of ireful

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at ire, -ful

Explanation

Use the adjective ireful to describe someone who's furious. You'll probably be ireful when you realize that your little brother used your favorite dress shirt as an apron when he baked brownies. The word ireful is an uncommon, old-fashioned way to say "really angry." You may tend to be an ireful driver, yelling and gesturing at other cars, or you might write an ireful letter to the editor of a newspaper after reading a badly reported, inaccurate story. When you're ireful, you're full of ire, which comes from Latin and means "wrath, anger, rage, or passion."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ireful

It makes me ireful to think o’ them.

From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker

"What poisoning doctor did you send?" he asked, with an ireful glance; "I want no doctor, I am not ill; I will not follow his prescription; he forbade me to eat; I will eat."

From International Weekly Miscellany - Volume 1, No. 8, August 19, 1850 by Various

As she paces to and fro the ugly din fades out of her ears and the ireful red out of her cheeks.

From Doctor Cupid by Rhoda Broughton

Mine ireful mood had sweetness tamed, And soothed each wound which pride inflamed:— Yes, God and man might now approve me If thou hadst lived, and lived to love me!

From The Golden Treasury Of the Best Songs and Lyrical Poems in the English Language by Francis Turner Palgrave

"Don't be lying there," said the ireful cook.

From The Funny Philosophers Wags and Sweethearts by George Yellott