What is the difference between ‘despedir’ and ‘despedirse’ in Spanish?

spanish language despedir

In Spanish, ‘despedir’ and ‘despedirse’ both refer to saying goodbye, but they are used differently. ‘Despedirse’ is used when saying goodbye to someone, while ‘despedir’ is more often associated with firing someone from a job. It’s safer and more common to use ‘despedirse’ for farewells.