Irate

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /aɪˈɹeɪt/

Definitions

1. Feeling or characterized by intense anger or rage
2. Emotionally charged with extreme displeasure or rage due to a particular incident or stimulus
3. Characterized by an overwhelming sense of anger or fury that can be provoked by various situations or circumstances

Etymology: Anger is the root of "irate," and its Latin ancestor was "irātus," meaning "angered" or "angry." That form comes from "īrāscor," "to be angry," which in turn grows from "īra," the Latin word for anger or wrath. The English adjective is built on the same pattern as many other Latin-derived words ending in "-ate," which turned past-participle-style forms of verbs into descriptive adjectives. What makes "irate" distinctive is how plainly it keeps its original sense. Many English words drawn from Latin have drifted far from their roots, but "irate" still points straight at the emotion itself. It entered English as a learned borrowing from Latin, so its meaning has stayed close to the source, carrying the heat of "īra" into everyday use.

Synonyms: angry, furious, enraged, indignant, livid

Antonyms: calm, peaceful, content, pleased, happy