ire
noun
intense anger; wrath.
ire
1 American
[ahyuhr]
/ aɪər /
noun
Ire.
2
American
abbreviation
Ire.
1
British
abbreviation
ire
2
British
/ aɪə /
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ire
1250–1300; Middle English < Old French < Latin īra anger
Explanation
Ire is another word for "anger." So if you routinely steal your neighbor's newspaper, don't be surprised to be on the receiving end of his ire. Ire comes almost directly from the Latin word for anger, ira. While it means pretty much the same thing, ire usually stems from a specific grievance, rather than just general irritation with the world. And if you provoke someone's ire, you're probably going to feel their wrath. Shakespeare used both ire and anger in one famous sentence from his play "Pericles": "Yet cease your ire, you angry stars of heaven!"
Vocabulary lists containing ire
Words inspired by "Inside Out"
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Mad Infinitum: Synonyms for "Angry"
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This Week in Words: December 30, 2017 - January 5, 2018
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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.
See Examples For:
He’s faithful and quiet, never drawing the ire of umpires.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026
“Erdogan is playing a role in essentially containing the ire of Trump,” said Sinan Ulgen, a former Turkish diplomat and director of the Istanbul-based think tank Edam.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
Mullin and other immigration officials have said that they like the program because arrests carried out by local police attract less public ire.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
In the same part of town, called Chacao, the Interim President, Delcy Rodriguez, took a tour with the mayor and was on the receiving end of residents' ire.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
He had done nothing to break his promise, or to draw Nero’s ire in any way.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
He was a native of the county Tyrone, Ire., born July 25, 1802, and entered the Society of Jesus in 1837.
From Donahoe's Magazine, Volume XV, No. 3 Volume XV (Jan 1886-Jul 1886) by Various
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.
