German word

feuern

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈfɔɪ̯ɐn/

Meaning

  • verbfire

Example

Der Chef feuert den Mitarbeiter.

The boss fires the employee.

Illustration for feuern (fire)

More examples

Nach der Untersuchung hat das Unternehmen den Angestellten gefeuert.

After the investigation, the company fired the employee.

Core concept

A trigger releases force outward, sending a projectile from a weapon or a worker out of a job.

Common phrases

  • einen Angestellten feuern

    fire an employee

  • einen Kollegen feuern

    fire a colleague

Similar words

entlassen: To end an employee's employment through a formal process or for stated reasons.
kündigen: To end an employee's contract by giving notice.
rausschmeißen: To throw someone or something out in a forceful, colloquial way.

Definition in German

eine Person aus dem Arbeitsverhältnis entlassen; außerdem eine Waffe oder ein Gerät abfeuern

Word origin

The verb is derived from German Feuer ('fire'), with its weapon sense developing from the use of fire and its dismissal sense becoming a figurative extension.

Usage tips

  • For dismissal, jemanden feuern takes an accusative object and sounds colloquial and blunt, while entlassen is more neutral.

Other meanings

  • shootverb

Opposites

Related words

  • abfeuernshootverb
  • anfeuernencourageverb

Word lists with this word