fury
Americannoun
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unrestrained or violent anger, rage, passion, or the like.
The gods unleashed their fury on the offending mortal.
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violence; vehemence; fierceness.
the fury of a hurricane;
a fury of creative energy.
- Synonyms:
- turbulence
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Classical Mythology. Furies, minor female divinities: the daughters of Gaia who punished crimes at the instigation of the victims: known to the Greeks as the Erinyes or Eumenides and to the Romans as the Furiae or Dirae. Originally there were an indefinite number, but were later restricted to Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone.
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a fierce and violent person, especially a woman.
She became a fury when she felt she was unjustly accused.
idioms
noun
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violent or uncontrolled anger; wild rage
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an outburst of such anger
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uncontrolled violence
the fury of the storm
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a person, esp a woman, with a violent temper
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See Furies
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informal violently; furiously
they rode like fury
Synonym Usage
See anger.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fury
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English furey, furye, from Old French furie, from Latin furia “rage,” equivalent to fur(ere) “to be angry, rage” + -ia, noun suffix; see -y 2
Explanation
Violent, angry, and ferocious, fury is a feeling of wild, intense anger. Before you let your fury get the best of you, it's good to take a few deep breaths before you speak. Fury is anger times ten — it's unrestrained and maybe a little scary. If you've ever seen a little kid have a raging temper tantrum because it was time to leave the park, you have an idea of what fury looks — and sounds — like. Fury can also describe aspects of nature, like the fury of a hurricane. In Greek mythology, a fury was a spirit of punishment, named for the three Furies, goddesses who punished the guilty.
Vocabulary lists containing fury
Emotions on Display
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Words inspired by "Inside Out"
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"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 14–18
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But when she realizes Iago has slandered Desdemona she turns into an enraged lioness, roundly exposing and condemning him—and Othello—with righteous fury.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026
The litany of complaints continues, though, and reading between the lines, it’s clear the root of the men’s fury is rejection.
From Slate • May 26, 2026
O'Farrell called them out for "implying my dad is a terrorist bomber. It was a strange moment. Everybody was slightly offended by my fury".
From BBC • May 22, 2026
The "dirty fuel" debacle sparked fury, especially among transport workers.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
My fury was back, rushing under my skin with a vengeance.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
