all-fired

English

Etymology

Probably a euphemistic form of hell-fired.

Adjective

all-fired (not comparable)

1. (chiefly US, informal) Extreme, excessive.
   • 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 16, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC:

     It's an all-fired outrage to tell any human creature that he's bound to hell.

Adverb

all-fired (not comparable)

1. (chiefly US, intensifier, informal) Extremely, thoroughly, very. [from 19th c.]
   • 1909, Lucy Maud Montgomery, chapter 14, in Anne of Avonlea:

     Of course, I was only stringing Jerry . . . he thinks he's so all-fired cute and smart.

   • 1970, Donald Harington, Lightning Bug, published 2005, page 32:

     Latha dear, she said resolutely, once in your life you'll just have to quit being so all-fired superstitious.

   • 1972, Carole King (lyrics and music), “Bitter with the Sweet”, in Rhymes & Reasons:

     Sometimes I'm tired and I wonder / What's so all-fired important / About being someplace at some time

Synonyms

• all-firedly