all-fired
Extremely; more than you needed.
Also called allfired.
Updated September 21, 2026
all-fired pronunciation
/AWL-fired/
Meaning
An old-fashioned intensifier stuck in front of adjectives and adverbs. If somebody is all-fired stubborn, they are stubborn to a ridiculous degree. It softens a cuss without losing the heat.
How folks use it
- “Don't get all-fired mad over a flat tire.”
- “It's all-fired hot out there by the barn.”
Origin and etymology
American slang from the early 1800s. Most word historians treat it as a cleaned-up stand-in for hell-fired, swapping hell for all so the swear stays polite. Etymonline dates the form around 1829.
Frequently asked questions
Is all-fired a swear word?
It started as a polite dodge for a stronger curse. Today it mostly sounds folksy, not shocking.