furor

especially British, fu·rore

[fyoor-awr, -er]

noun

1. a general outburst of enthusiasm, excitement, controversy, or the like.

   Synonyms: turmoil, commotion, uproar, frenzy

2. a prevailing fad, mania, or craze.

3. fury; rage; madness.

   Synonyms: turmoil, commotion, uproar, frenzy

Word History and Origins

Origin of furor¹

First recorded in 1425–75; from Latin: “a raging”; replacing late Middle English fureor, from Middle French

Example Sentences

The database provoked a furor within the LAPD, which led to the city unsuccessfully suing in an attempt to claw back the photos.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Shin compared the furor to a 2020 case in which a convenience store clerk was indicted for eating a 5,900 won pack of braised pig's feet.

Read more on Barron's

On its heels came the expected furor of Cheever-related commentary that obsessed over his private life at the expense of his writing.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

What finally sparked her furor was when federal agents handcuffed U.S.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

More broadly, the furor in Azerbaijan over the crash laid bare Russia’s diminished influence in swaths of its former empire and beyond in the wake of its war in Ukraine.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• agitation 
• commotion 
• craze 
• enthusiasm 
• flap 
• free-for-all 
• frenzy 
• fury 
• fuss 
• hysteria 
• outburst 
• outcry 
• rage 
• ruckus 
• tumult 
• uproar