fire in anger
English
editPronunciation
editAudio (General Australian): (file)
Verb
editfire in anger (third-person singular simple present fires in anger, present participle firing in anger, simple past and past participle fired in anger)
- (military, idiomatic) To fire a weapon with the intent of causing damage or harm to an opponent (as opposed to a warning shot or a practice shot).
- The Napier of Magdala Battery never fired a shot in anger: it never engaged in combat.
Usage notes
edit- Despite the use of the word anger, the phrase is not intended to describe the emotional state of the firer.
References
edit- Wicaksono, Rachel (2010 August 6 (last accessed)) “Fire in anger”, in Ask About English[1], BBC World Service