Antonyms for fire


Grammar : Noun, verb
Spell : fahyuh r
Phonetic Transcription : faɪər


Definition of fire

Origin :
  • Old English fyr, from Proto-Germanic *fuir (cf. Old Saxon and Old Frisian fiur, Old Norse fürr, Middle Dutch and Dutch vuur, Old High German fiur, German Feuer), from PIE *perjos, from root *paewr- (cf. Armenian hur "fire, torch," Czech pyr "hot ashes," Greek pyr, Umbrian pir, Sanskrit pu, Hittite pahhur "fire").
  • Current spelling is attested as early as 1200, but did not fully displace Middle English fier (preserved in fiery) until c.1600.
  • PIE apparently had two roots for fire: *paewr- and *egni- (cf. Latin ignis). The former was "inanimate," referring to fire as a substance, and the latter was "animate," referring to it as a living force (see water).
  • Fire applied in English to passions, feelings, from mid-14c. Meaning "action of guns, etc." is from 1580s. Firecracker is American English coinage for what is in England just cracker, but the U.S. word distinguishes it from the word meaning "biscuit." Fire-engine attested from 1680s. The figurative expression play with fire "risk disaster" is from 1887; phrase where's the fire? "what's the hurry?" first recorded 1924.
  • noun burning
  • noun barrage of projectiles
  • noun animation, vigor
  • verb cause to burn
  • verb detonate or throw a weapon
  • verb excite, arouse
  • verb dismiss from responsibility
Example sentences :
  • Of course, we all like to play with fire, but I always put it out before it can spread.
  • Extract from : « Malbone » by Thomas Wentworth Higginson
  • Finally they had been compelled to fire on them, but had not killed any.
  • Extract from : « Explorations in Australia » by John Forrest
  • The tempest suppressed his voice, as it had put out the fire.
  • Extract from : « Malbone » by Thomas Wentworth Higginson
  • He had his revolver on the fellow in the instant, and yet he held his fire.
  • Extract from : « Way of the Lawless » by Max Brand
  • When I thought I had the unloaded one I called on you to fire.
  • Extract from : « Viviette » by William J. Locke
  • By our efforts, we have lit a fire as well—a fire in the minds of men.
  • Extract from : « United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches » by Various
  • It made her interlace her fingers with nervous anxiety, but it set a fire in her eyes.
  • Extract from : « Way of the Lawless » by Max Brand
  • Hey, Scottie, shake up the fire and put on some coffee, will you?
  • Extract from : « Way of the Lawless » by Max Brand
  • Andrew, looking from the dull glimmer of his fire to that dead waste, sighed.
  • Extract from : « Way of the Lawless » by Max Brand
  • "I had no gun," said Larry, without raising his eyes from the fire.
  • Extract from : « Way of the Lawless » by Max Brand

Synonyms for fire

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019