all-fired
2
9.9
- adjective
- /ɔlˈfaɪrd/
- Archaic
- Who do you think cares, and why can't you pick up the phone or write a personal email or good, old-fashioned letter if it's that all-fired important?
- so all-fired
- all-fired important
Examples
-
Well, if he's so all-fired fey or whatever it is... ...l don't see why Lord and Lady Maitland didn't keep him under lock and key.
-
-What's so all-fired important, Stu?
-
I get all fired up about it," he says.
Academic text (2005) -
You're all fired up, man.
-
What was the all-fired hurry?
Blog text (5) -
Why do you make it sound so all-fired awful?
-
"Well, you were getting so all-fired protective about being the prince, I just thought..." Wulfrith rubbed his sore arm.
Fiction book (1993) -
Well, if Cheney didn't have anything to hide, as far as being involved in the ordering of torture, he wouldn't be so all-fired upset that there will be one.
Blog text (15) -
Everyone was all-fired excited for the concert this weekend.
-
She was all-fired determined to win the competition.
Synonyms
∞
7.5
Shows that something is very strong or important
638
7.5
To add strong feeling before a describing word in informal British English, often to show anger
1
5.3
In a very bright or very fast way
In a very strong way, often in casual talk
To a very great degree
Antonyms
How Intense
Surface Forms
Morphology
all-fired = fired (semi-transparent) = all + fired
The prefix 'all' clearly functions as an intensifier, but the use of 'fired' as an emphatic base is colloquial and not fully predictable for an average learner.
Etymology
All-fired comes from putting all and fired together, like something is 'completely on fire' with energy or feeling; this picture makes it easy to remember. That's why all-fired is used before an adjective or adverb to mean 'very' or 'extremely'.