to fire
- verb
- /faɪər/
- During the training exercise, the instructor taught us how to fire a rifle accurately.
- fire a shot
- fire a gun
- fire a rifle
So this is the arrow that gets fired at you like right in your heart.
- So this is the arrow that gets fired at you like right in your heart.
- And what do you do Then I fire one shot.
- And then I gave him the OK to pull the trigger and he fired and bang, there it was.
- OK, so someone fires a nuke.
Examples
-
But the investigation's done since then have concluded that it was Ray who fired the shot.
-
A few bold civilians stood their ground and fired back at the soldiers.
Academic text (2011) -
And what do you do Then I fire one shot.
-
And then eventually, one guy started to return fire with you guys.
-
You fired your gun in a hospital.
-
Shots fired, Broadway and Centre Street.
-
I'm going to come down to here and then fire my arrow.
-
He did not fire or get off any shots at our agent.
-
He pulls his gun and he fired in the air.
-
Wait, so you actually, like, fired a missile from a tank at KSI's car?
Synonyms
Fire a gun at a person or animal to try to kill
Start making a loud noise or explode, for example an alarm
Start shooting at people or things with a gun
To fire a gun or hit something with a bullet
To shoot many times quickly with a gun
Fire a gun or other weapon
To shoot a gun again and again quickly
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
Phrasal Verbs
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 as a verb comes from the same root fyr meaning 'flame'; when early guns were used the bright flash looked like fire, so to 'fire' a weapon is to set it off and send a shot out. That is why we say a soldier 'fired' his gun.