These words are common and formal.

Pick "ire" (instead of "rage" or "anger") when you want your tone to be serious, old-fashioned, or even poetic. Talk about raising someone's ire—or drawing, risking, or arousing someone's ire. "What did we do to draw her ire?" Or, talk about people directing their ire somewhere, or at someone else: "Why is she directing her ire at us?"

And, when you want a serious, sophisticated alternative to "angry," pick "irate." Talk about irate people and their irate moods, faces, voices, complaints, and demands. Usually, we talk about people getting irate in certain moments, or certain situations: "This customer is irate about a missing package;" "I wrote an irate letter, which I eventually trashed instead of sending."

And when you want a serious, mildly insulting word for people who are often angry for petty reasons, call them "irascible." 

Basically, these are serious words that describe people getting furious when their dignity is disrespected. So, they can be pretty funny and surprising if you apply them not to people but to animals or objects. "Billina is a rather irascible chicken."

"She double-parked on busy cross streets as she dashed in and out of buildings, provoking an avalanche of honking ire from other drivers."  
   — Michelle Obama, Becoming, 2018

"Irate customers have told outlets like The Verge and Electrek that Tesla is increasing the price of the solar tiles when it comes time for installation."
   — Sean O'Kane, The Verge, 26 April 2021

"All writers about [onagers, a horse-like animal], from Romans to modern zookeepers, decry their irascible temper and their nasty habit of biting people."
   — Jared M. Diamond, Guns, Germs and Steel, 1997

has this page helped you understand "ire," "irate," & "irascible"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about these words, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study them:

Explain the meaning of "ire," "irate," and "irascible" without saying "mad" or "upset."

try some out:

Graham Stoney argues that irate comedians are the funniest, and the most emotionally useful for the audience. When comedians "adopt an angry schtick," he says, they let us "deal with our own internalised rage vicariously."

To what extent do you agree or disagree, and why? Could you give some examples of comedians whose ire (or irascibility) you find entertaining, or cathartic, or neither?

If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.)

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for January: "Is That a Real Word?"

In each issue, I’ll give you three, um, written phenomena. You decide if each is a real word—and most importantly—why or why not. If someone were to dispute your judgment, how would you defend it? For fun, try comparing your responses with a companion’s. And if you like, you can compare yours with mine, which I’ll list at the bottom of the issue.

Try these today: Out of "Englishes," "lickspittle," and "kinda," which, if any, are real words?

review these words:

1. One opposite of IRATE is

A. KIND.
B. CALM.
C. TRUE.

2. In A Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin describes a character as "irascible, _____."

A. grounded and cunning
B. sharp of tongue, and blunt of manner
C. the picture of eloquence and indulgence

Answers to the review questions: 1. B 2. B Let's compare notes from the game: I say, out of "Englishes," "lickspittle," and "kinda," all three are real words. "Englishes" may sound wrong and startling. But I've learned to check a dictionary before I tell anyone they're wrong, or that they're using words wrong. I figure, unless your knowledge of the language is both encyclopedic and omniscient, then you can't always trust your Sprachgefühl when a word rubs you the wrong way. As it turns out, Englishes are varieties or types of English, and the count noun "English" has appeared in dictionaries and in print since 1910. "Lickspittle:" alright, ewwwwww. It's not a word you'd want to use in polite company, but that doesn't stop it from being a real word. It dates back to 1825 in English print. "Kinda" is slangy, but it's easily understood, and people have been using it in print since 1834.  In case you're wondering where I'm getting these dates from, I applaud your skepticism! They're from the Oxford English Dictionary.

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog: On vocabulary...       36 ways to study words.       Why we forget words, & how to remember them.       How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. On writing...       How to improve any sentence.       How to motivate our kids to write.       How to stop procrastinating and start writing.       How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count. From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.