Ire

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /aɪɹ/

Definitions

1. A strong feeling of anger or resentment can manifest in various situations or conflicts
2. A passionate expression of annoyance or wrath stemming from provocation may influence responses and decisions
3. A deep-seated emotion characterized by intense anger or fury often arises in response to perceived injustices or provocations

Etymology: Old English had two words that merged into the one we use now. The first, "yrre" or "ierre", meant anger or wrath, and it reached Middle English as "irre" or "erre" before its spelling settled. The second, which gave us the vowel and the shortened form "yre", was a word for "iron" that later shows up in this sense, and the two strands met in "ire" as it appears in English today. The ancient roots are far older and wider than English. Related forms include Old English "ofost", meaning haste or zeal, and Old Norse "eisa", meaning to race forward, which hints at the sense of anger as a rushing force. Ancient Greek "oîstros" meant both frenzy and gadfly, and the Avestan "aesma" meant anger, so the idea of a surging, driven state appears across several languages.

Synonyms: anger, rage, fury, wrath, indignation

Antonyms: calm, peace, serenity, tranquility, contentment