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as in shrew
a bad-tempered scolding woman tradition has it that Socrates' wife was such a fury that the philosopher's death sentence by the authorities was not an entirely unwelcome fate

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun fury differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of fury are anger, indignation, ire, rage, and wrath. While all these words mean "an intense emotional state induced by displeasure," rage and fury suggest loss of self-control from violence of emotion.

shook with rage
could not contain his fury

When might anger be a better fit than fury?

The synonyms anger and fury are sometimes interchangeable, but anger, the most general term, names the reaction but by itself does not convey cause or intensity.

tried to hide his anger

In what contexts can indignation take the place of fury?

The words indignation and fury are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, indignation stresses righteous anger at what one considers unfair, mean, or shameful.

a comment that caused general indignation

When is it sensible to use ire instead of fury?

The meanings of ire and fury largely overlap; however, ire, more frequent in literary contexts, suggests an intense anger, often with an evident display of feeling.

cheeks flushed with ire

When would wrath be a good substitute for fury?

In some situations, the words wrath and fury are roughly equivalent. However, wrath is likely to suggest a desire or intent to punish or get revenge.

I feared her wrath if I was discovered

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fury Wilson and Farmiga are immediately transfixing as the intense yet empathetic investigators at the center of the series, while Lili Taylor gives a terrifying, unpredictable performance as the victim of demonic fury. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 28 Oct. 2024 What the fury around her political opinions tells me is that toxic political discourse closely resembles toxic stan culture, both of which are spiritually indebted to toxic sports fandom, the original irredeemable online subculture. Hazlitt, 23 Oct. 2024 The movie, having built up a righteous steam of fury, now unleashes it against the Ivans of the world and salutes those toiling thanklessly in their employ. Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024 Available on The Week Bookshop Forest of Noise Mosab Abu Toha, 2024 This collection by a Gazan poet – written since the Israeli assault started last year – is full of fury and longing, an emblem of the richness of Palestinian culture. The Week Uk, theweek, 11 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fury 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fury
Noun
  • There have been a few seasons of the show in which men (see: season five Cole) are portrayed as innocent but good-hearted idiots and women as harsh shrews.
    Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 31 Oct. 2024
  • Revolutionizing Fossil Analysis with X-Ray Imaging The concept arose almost by chance when Ian Corfe was probing shrew teeth at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in France (synchrotrons are high-powered instruments that use X-ray beams).
    Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 7 Aug. 2024
Noun
  • But the political world was thrown into a frenzy over the weekend for one poll: the Des Moines Register’s final Iowa poll before the election.
    Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Just moments later, the arena lights flickered, sending the Cleveland crowd into a frenzy.
    Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • Then came the anger, hurt and all that goes with it.
    R. Eric Thomas, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
  • This means asking them to let go of any anger and resentment toward you, but don’t force anything.
    Hylke Faber, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • For the family of the Army reservist who carried out a mass shooting across Maine's second-largest city one year ago, dissecting what provoked the deadly rampage has been daunting.
    Brenda Breslauer, NBC News, 23 Oct. 2024
  • This guy's been on a two-month rampage of insulting everybody who's not— Leah Feiger: Everyone.
    Leah Feiger, WIRED, 2 Oct. 2024
Noun
  • When Wiley returns a few minutes later with a tissue, his indignation has come back, too.
    Rachel Corbett, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024
  • On Wednesday night, when news of the pending indictment was reported by the Times, but before details of the charges were publicly known, Adams offered the public the same righteous indignation.
    Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2024
Noun
  • Devin Williams received back-to-back sentences of 25 years to life in prison for the fatal shootings of Maria and Benison Tran, who were shot at near point-blank range after Williams snuck into their Dublin home and confronted them in a fit of jealous rage.
    Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024
  • How to cope right now Don’t suppress your emotions, process them In the immediate aftermath of the election results, you may be flooded with emotions ranging from despair to rage.
    Allie Volpe, Vox, 11 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • Russia’s wrath hangs over Georgia elections Saturday's election will pit the Moscow-leaning Georgian Dream government against several pro-Western opposition parties, among them the United National Movement party founded by Saakashvili in 2001.
    David Brennan, ABC News, 26 Oct. 2024
  • As villagers attempt to thwart her ghostly presence, Nak’s wrath and enduring love become forces to reckon with.
    Patrick Frater, Variety, 8 Oct. 2024
Noun
  • In today’s deal, North’s leap to four hearts is preemptive, and West doubles that outrage with his 23 high-card points.
    Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
  • Pressure mounts in Israel for hostage deal The articles were published days after six Israeli hostages were found dead in a tunnel in Gaza, sparking Israeli protests and outrage at Netanyahu, who the families of some hostages see as sabotaging a cease-fire deal for his own political gain.
    Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near fury

Cite this Entry

“Fury.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fury. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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