FURY Synonyms: 172 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

fury

noun

ˈfyu̇r-ē

Definition of fury next

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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as in frenzy

a state of wildly excited activity or emotion the sudden appearance of the rock star whipped the crowd of onlookers into a fury of excitement

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in anger

an intense emotional state of displeasure with someone or something in his fury, the duped gambler overturned the card table and declared that the game had been fixed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Example 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 This is a woman who wakes up in a fright, glowers at pigeons, scrubs her home in a panicked fury, upbraids her adult son Moses (Tuwaine Barrett), and dismisses her plumber husband Curtley (David Webber). —

Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 10 Jan. 2025 Nevertheless, action — not complacency — must follow fury. —

Maria Isabel Barros Guinle, NPR, 7 Jan. 2025 Or stop by one of L.A.’s Rage Rooms to unleash your fury. —

Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2025 Nestled deep among climate anxiety, a respect for nature’s fury, and a heat so oppressive it all but robs him of language, Tonino found a way to depict of one of the most extreme places on the planet in a gentle, generous manner. —

The Editors, Outside Online, 26 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fury

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fury

Noun

Its other name, the four-toed elephant shrew, refers to its trunk-like snout.

— Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Jan. 2025
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