fume

¹

[fyoom]

noun

1. Often fumes any smokelike or vaporous exhalation from matter or substances, especially of an odorous or harmful nature.

   tobacco fumes; noxious fumes of carbon monoxide.

2. an irritable or angry mood.

   He has been in a fume ever since the contract fell through.

   Synonyms: storm, agitation, fury, rage

verb (used with object)

fumed, fuming 

1. to emit or exhale, as fumes or vapor.

   giant stacks fuming their sooty smoke.

2. to treat with or expose to fumes.

verb (used without object)

fumed, fuming 

1. to rise, or pass off, as fumes.

   smoke fuming from an ashtray.

2. to emit fumes.

   The leaky pipe fumed alarmingly.

3. to show fretful irritation or anger.

   She always fumes when the mail is late.

   Synonyms: fret, chafe

fumé

²

[fy-mey]

adjective

French.

1. of food, cured or flavored by exposure to smoke; smoked.

fume

/ fjuːm /

verb

1. (intr) to be overcome with anger or fury; rage

2. to give off (fumes) or (of fumes) to be given off, esp during a chemical reaction

3. (tr) to subject to or treat with fumes; fumigate

noun

1. (often plural) a pungent or toxic vapour

2. a sharp or pungent odour

3. a condition of anger

fume

1. Smoke, vapor, or gas, especially if irritating, harmful, or smelly.

Other Word Forms

• fumy adjective
• fumingly adverb
• fumer noun
• fumeless adjective
• fumelike adjective
• unfuming adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fume¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Old French fum < Latin fūmus smoke, steam, fume

Word History and Origins

Origin of fume¹

C14: from Old French fum , from Latin fūmus smoke, vapour

Example Sentences

If the Sun keeps hiding behind smog, India risks running on fumes instead of full power.

Read more on BBC

Pacific Palisades residents are fuming at City Hall for not moving quicker on several priorities, including replacing the Palisades Branch Library, which burned in the January fire.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Donkey carts and tractors jostled for space with pickups and larger transport trucks, the diesel fumes mixing with dust and the salty sea air.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Kaniecki said he has treated about a dozen pilots and over 100 flight attendants for brain injuries after exposure to fumes on aircraft over the last 20 years.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Despite its somewhat tendentious title and Nelson’s fuming belief that as a Latino he is seen as a loan risk, “The Other Americans” is not a dramatic screed denouncing the inequities of American culture.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bristle 
• chafe 
• rave 
• seethe