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
Related Words
See anger.
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.
The "dirty fuel" debacle sparked fury, especially among transport workers.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
Reid’s score felt like a vast, moving, spiritual soundscape of our fires’ fury as well as our coastal fancy.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
If we had, it might have come with a purposefully incomprehensible slogan, absent any sound or fury but definitely signifying nothing.
From Salon • May 17, 2026
But within minutes of the medication wearing off, she says she can feel anger, fury or despair rising inside her depending on what stage she is at in her cycle.
From BBC • May 16, 2026
Gone was his normal contemptuous and haughty look, and in its place was fury.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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.
