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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 The Mavericks shocked the NBA world when general manager Nico Harrison traded their 25-year-old superstar to the Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round pick in a move that has drawn near-universal ire, and a special type of fury from Mavericks fans. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 13 Feb. 2025 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed his fury Friday toward the mistake. Ross O'Keefe, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 22 Feb. 2025 The meeting comes the day after Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Russian representatives, including Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss a peace deal for the war in Ukraine, to the fury of its president, Volodymyr Zelensky, who was not invited. Catherine Porter, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025 Still, Democratic members of Congress may face their own voters’ fury. Steve Peoples, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 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
  • The meal concluded with a luscious pavlova, but the conversation lingered well into the night, as the fashion week frenzy charged ahead toward its final stretch of shows and soirées.
    Kristen Bateman, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2025
  • Big Tech stocks and companies that rode the artificial intelligence frenzy in recent years have slumped sharply.
    Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Ellen’s decision to end her husband’s life was not an act of anger or violence.
    Tony Ray, Orlando Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2025
  • Other footage showed similar instances of anger, such as when Ruby Franke expressed frustration at her husband for not being interactive enough on camera.
    Angela Yang, NBC News, 27 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Amid his social media rampage, Rob also accused Chyna of drug abuse, alcohol abuse and infidelity.
    Stephanie Wenger, People.com, 26 Feb. 2025
  • The Abomination goes on a rampage in Harlem, and Bruce turns himself into the Hulk to defeat him.
    Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 14 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Vance’s speech spurred the Europeans to unite in their indignation.
    Simon Shuster/Berlin, TIME, 22 Feb. 2025
  • If Jude’s previous two fiction films were Molotov cocktails of indignation, his latest secretes a kind of scentless poison that gets at the banality with which social injustices are processed and rationalized.
    Beatrice Loayza, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Melanie does that beautifully, unraveling through rage.
    Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 28 Feb. 2025
  • His parents fought repeatedly, and his father often used his fists on him to take out his rage, according to The Associated Press.
    Stephanie Giang-Paunon, Fox News, 27 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • There has been growing concern within several news outlets about drawing the wrath of the Trump administration.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 23 Feb. 2025
  • The result of such whiplash: People who have experienced the various stages of a Trump relationship often remain tied to him, yet also fearful of his wrath, concluding that praising Trump—or at least staying silent about his shortcomings—is the best survival strategy.
    Dan Alexander, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The software glitch sparked outrage online, leading to more than 18,500 comments on the viral TikTok video already.
    Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Liberal politicians and commentators feigned outrage when President Trump’s DOGE team began to audit the trillions of dollars in payments that the U.S. Treasury Department sends out annually.
    James Carter, National Review, 28 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fury.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fury. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

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