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fired

v.
B1 Intermediate US //ˈfaɪɝd// UK //fˈaɪəd// fired

v. to lose your job because your boss is unhappy with your work or behavior. It is a serious way to leave a company.

v. to dismiss an employee from a position of employment, typically due to poor performance or misconduct. Often used in the passive voice.


SIMPLE

He was fired for being late to work every day.

CONTEXTUAL

The manager warned the staff that anyone caught stealing from the inventory would be fired immediately.

COMPLEX

While some employees were merely laid off due to budget cuts, the lead developer was fired for a significant breach of the company's data security protocols.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From fire + -ed.

Usage

The verb is transitive; in professional contexts, it is frequently used in the passive voice ('to be fired').

Pitfall

he was fired from his job because of the economyhe was laid off because of the economyLearners often use 'fired' for any job loss, but it specifically implies the employee did something wrong; 'laid off' is used for business reasons like budget cuts.

Idioms1 entry

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