furious
Americanadjective
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full of fury, violent passion, or rage; extremely angry; enraged.
He was furious about the accident.
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intensely violent, as wind or storms.
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of unrestrained energy, speed, etc..
furious activity.
adjective
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extremely angry or annoyed; raging
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violent, wild, or unrestrained, as in speed, vigour, energy, etc
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of furious
First recorded in 1300–50; a Middle English word from the Latin word furiōsus; see fury, -ous
Explanation
If you've ever been so angry you'd swear you felt your blood boiling, you could reasonably say that you were furious. The word basically means "full of fury," so you get the picture. Think about the angriest you've ever been. Now double it and you might be getting close to furious, from the Latin furiōsus, meaning "full of rage," which in turn comes from furia, "fury." Greek and Roman mythology had the Furies, who dispensed justice by harshly punishing criminals, sometimes driving them mad. They were merciless, fearsome, and feared, with snakes for hair and bloody eyes. When not on earth, they were tormenting the damned in Hell. Now, that's furious!
Vocabulary lists containing furious
In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
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Because of Winn-Dixie
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Mad Infinitum: Synonyms for "Angry"
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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.
Knowsley Council leader Graham Morgan said he was "absolutely furious" that every piece of play equipment at the Finch Woods play park in Halewood, Knowsley had been spray painted with graffiti over the weekend.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
When the Moon blots out the Sun on August 12, teams will leap into action studying its magnetic field, atmosphere and furious weather that sometimes causes disruptions back here on Earth.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
Perhaps as a result, moves in the U.S. market over the past few days have been coming fast and furious.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
Right-leaning Americans who had never been particularly civically engaged found themselves at city hall meetings or out in protests, furious about business closures and stay-at-home orders.
From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026
At one o’clock in the morning, a square-jawed private arrived at the barracks, roused Captain Babushkinov, and informed him that the furious general had challenged him to a duel.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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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.