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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

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 Her lengthy explanation, watched by more than 32 million viewers and shared more than 15,000 times, has been greeted with a mix of both fury and praise from X users. William Lambers, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025 Hell hath no fury like Sara Haines telling Congress to get their act together. EW.com, 7 Mar. 2025 McCann, for instance, recently engaged in a nasty spat with Severin Borenstein, a UC Berkeley energy economist and regular target of the solar industry’s fury. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2025 In response, the right wing descended upon Mulvaney and Bud Light with a fury, with musician Kid Rock going so far as to post a video of himself repeatedly shooting a case of the beer with a gun. James Factora, Them, 17 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fury
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fury
Noun
  • According to the Lincoln Park Zoo, northern tree shrews are most closely related to primates and have no relation to actual shrews other than a coincidental resemblance to them.
    Rhiannon Saegert, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2025
  • Here’s looking at shrew: How college students got first-ever photos of an elusive California mammal.
    Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Pete Alonso’s game-tying three-run home run in the eighth inning was the signature moment — a blast over the center field wall that sent the Mets’ dugout into a frenzy and temporarily turned loanDepot park into Citi Field South.
    Noah Gulley, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2025
  • This seems like a win-win situation, offering expertise to these young adults and introducing them to a world which too often was a frenzy of agents, publicists, etc whose own bottom lines were more paramount than any of the student-athletes needs.
    Kennington Smith III, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Shock and anger Economists warn the new taxes will result in higher prices and slower growth in the United States — while spilling over into other countries and hurting the global economy.
    Maria Aspan, NPR, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Unlike Molly, who's politely reticent and reluctant to speak up for herself, Nikki can't resist expressing her anger and sorrow—or, more precisely, dramatizing them for whatever audience of oncologists happens to be in range.
    Dory Jackson, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Eventually, however, Reacher’s cover is blown by Beck and Quinn/McCabe goes on the rampage.
    Tim Lammers, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
  • CarMax vehicle rampage left one paralyzed, records say.
    Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Newcastle United fans will be used to the fact that they aren’t allowed to enjoy these occasions before sports journalists’ chin-stroking moral indignation takes hold.
    Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
  • The Baldwins shame him, but their righteous indignation feels insincere considering Baldwin wasn’t using her name in that footage with detectives.
    Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Male rage, particularly on display in parts of the manosphere, has been steadily rising.
    Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Also, the trade war rages, and there were mass firings at key scientific agencies.
    Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 4 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The film’s first trailer release sparks new backlash, this time around its stars’ political leanings Instead of enthusiasm and anticipation for the movie, Disney’s first official Snow White trailer drop incurred the wrath of fans on either side of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
    Krystie Lee Yandoli, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2025
  • The cause of Montgomery's wrath, and of his March 30 date, is the Federal Communications Commission, which set an April 1, 2025, deadline for smaller jails to lower the obscene rates of inmate phone calls.
    Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 18 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The outrage felt by Connecticut residents, amid a brutally hot last summer, grew late last year to a point that a petition was delivered to Gov. Ned Lamont with 68,000 signatures calling for a break on rising electric bills.
    Staff report, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2025
  • The documentary sparked outrage among fans even before its release.
    Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 28 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fury.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fury. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.

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