seething

British  

/ ˈsiːðɪŋ /

adjective

1. boiling or foaming as if boiling

2. crowded and full of restless activity

3. in a state of extreme agitation, esp through anger

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Other Word Forms

• seethingly adverb

Explanation

Seething describes anger you can barely contain. If you are seething and something sets you off, you just might explode into a rage. Someone who's seething with anger is furious but keeping it a secret. Maybe someone insulted you in front of others and you want to let it go — on the inside, though, you might be seething. Or during the big game, an opponent's harsh words can have you seething, but you want to stay focused on scoring points. Seething sometimes describes something that's boiling over, like a seething pot of soup, and this is also the root of the word.

Example Sentences

The rest of the team did not acknowledge him and I was seething, but fortunately I decided to wait before dealing with him.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

In 1991 Will Self disgorged himself on to the British literary scene with “The Quantity Theory of Insanity,” a book of short stories seething with misanthropy and logorrhea.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

In Guillermo Cienfuegos’ enlivening, if at times unsteady, production at A Noise Within, the role is played by Ann Noble, who forgoes the outdated hunchback but adopts a seething, slithering, perversely seductive aura of menace.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2026

There was even talk of opening a North Atlantic Treaty Organization office in Asia—a prospect that had Beijing seething.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 2026

“I don’t even care. The way Tremaine was seething in the background will fuel me for the rest of the championships.”

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

Related Words

• agitation
• commotion
• convulsion
• disturbance
• excitement
• ferment
• fracas
• hassle
• maelstrom
• outcry
• pandemonium
• quarrel
• riot
• strife
• turbulence
• turmoil
• unrest
• upheaval