fire
- noun
- /faɪər/
- Open fire.
- open fire
- a cease-fire
- gun fire
Examples
-
- Hold your fire!
-
We are taking heavy fire from two two-man RPG teams.
-
I was laying down fire when I initially got shot.
-
Concentrate fire on the weak ones.
-
Turn into the ambush, turn toward the enemy, fire and attack.
-
Your comrade should be able to offer covering fire, even if he can no longer move.
Fiction book (1990) -
Please hold your fire.
-
The IDF outnumbered Hamas 3:1 and enjoyed close fire and intelligence support.
Academic text (2015) -
Nor would a frontal assault, without backup fire from our mortar squad, be anything but suicide.
Fiction book (1990) -
The soldiers were ordered to hold their position and return fire at the enemy forces.
Synonyms
Firing a bullet or explosive from a weapon
Firing a gun for practice or sport
The sound or act of shooting guns
A long, heavy attack with bombs or large guns on a place
The act of shooting a gun
A sudden group of gun or cannon shots fired together
A heavy attack by military guns and cannons on enemy positions
Soldiers fire explosive shells in a high arc at a target from the ground
An attack in which an enemy shoots at people
Loud shots from large guns used in an attack
An event when a rocket moves into the sky using its engines
Shooting at a target you can see with weapons like a tank or rifle
Continuous gunfire aimed at an enemy to stop them firing or moving so friendly troops can advance
Gunfire from the ground aimed at enemy planes to stop an air attack
Heavy firing of large guns causes explosions at a place
Gunfire that goes along the length of a line of soldiers, causing heavy damage
Many weapons fire together at one target
Fire from several weapons aimed together at one target
A long heavy stream of shots from large guns across a wide area to hit many places
A long, very loud attack by many heavy guns firing rapidly
Artillery or mortar guns fire in one direction with changing elevation to hit different distances across a target area
Shots from guns aimed at different heights to hit targets at various distances
Shots from many guns spread over an area to hit targets
Shots from guns or artillery that disturb, tire, and stop enemy soldiers from moving
Gunfire aimed to destroy enemy weapons or positions
A planned heavy attack with artillery to weaken enemy forces before an assault
A set of shots from guns or artillery aimed at enemy positions before an attack
Artillery or aircraft attack a specific target after a unit asks for it
Shots from guns that soldiers adjust after seeing where they land
Shots from guns or cannons fired without seeing where they hit
Shooting that destroys things like buildings or vehicles in war
Antonyms
Idioms
- Informal
Make someone do what they promised or take responsibility by pressuring them
- Informal
To make a bad situation worse by saying or doing something that makes people angrier
Save someone from a difficult situation at the last moment
- Informal
Strong energy and passion that continue even when someone gets older
To pay attention to something unimportant instead of the main task
- Informal
Escaping a bad situation and ending in a much worse one
- Archaic
To cause great excitement or a big effect, often said to mean something is not impressive
Compounds
A group that sends people to put out fires and help in emergencies in the local area
A staircase or metal ladder on the outside of a building used to get out during a fire
- Formal
A person who makes sure buildings are safe from fire, investigates fires, and enforces fire safety rules
A practice where people leave a building to be safe during a fire or other emergency
- Specialized
Intense gunfire aimed near an enemy to keep them from shooting back while friendly troops move
- Formal
A set of rules made by authorities about buildings to prevent fires and keep people safe
- Informal
A very difficult test that shows if someone can do a job under pressure
- Specialized
A slow burn in the layer of dead leaves and wood under the soil, often without visible flames
- Specialized
Gunfire from the ground aimed at enemy planes to stop an air attack
- Specialized
Shooting at a target you cannot see using calculations or people who watch
- US
A large fast fire that burns across dry grassland and spreads quickly in strong wind
- Specialized
Continuous gunfire aimed at an enemy to stop them firing or moving so friendly troops can advance
- Specialized
A system that uses radio waves to aim and fire weapons at military targets
- Specialized
Gunfire by other soldiers or tanks that protects attacking soldiers from the enemy
- Specialized
A fast forest fire that moves through the tops of trees, often moving ahead of the fire on the ground
- Specialized
Gunfire that goes along the length of a line of soldiers, causing heavy damage
- Specialized
A serious disease caused by bacteria that makes apple and pear shoots and flowers turn black and die
- Specialized
A system that finds and aims weapons at military targets on ships or tanks
- Specialized
A blue glow that appears on pointed objects like ship masts or airplane wings during thunderstorms
- Specialized
Gunfire aimed near friendly troops to protect them from immediate enemy threats
- Specialized
Fire from guns aimed at enemy mortar positions to destroy or stop them
- Specialized
A planned heavy attack with artillery to weaken enemy forces before an assault
- Specialized
Fire from heavy guns at enemy targets far behind friendly troops to disrupt supplies and reinforcements
How Intense
Surface Forms
Etymology
Fire comes from the old word fyr meaning 'flame', and people used the image of a sudden burst of heat or light to talk about weapons being used. That's why to 'open fire' or to 'fire' at someone means to shoot — you 'send out' a sudden, powerful burst like a flame.