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

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

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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 But the band fury is as climactic as anything that could be done continuing to have the full ensemble play… and Dudamel looked happy enough to put his baton down, turn around and just watch the group play for a few minutes. — Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Aug. 2026 The trial had reignited his fury at the regime and at the British police who had failed to prevent the operation. — Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026 Retired police officer and firefighter Ted Melden has seen his share of Mother Nature's fury since moving to Reno with his wife earlier this month from Chapin, South Carolina. — CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026 Retired police officer and firefighter Ted Melden has seen his share of Mother Nature’s fury since moving to Reno with his wife earlier this month from Chapin, South Carolina. — ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fury

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fury

Noun

These are important tools used for both feeding and building their dens and digging for other menu items such as mice, gophers, voles and shrews.

— Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2026
See page 8 to order a shrew for $29, plus shipping and handling.

— Jeff Wilson, Outdoor Life, 11 Mar. 2026

Definition of shrew

Noun

Some market participants are already taking action by betting on a cooling AI frenzy.

— , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
The companies’ interest in the Monarch data center shows how the feeding frenzy for compute has reached a new pitch as AI companies look to nail down capacity amid the AI buildout.

— J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of frenzy

Noun

One of the largest online voice acting communities on Reddit, r/VoiceActing, is full of angst and anger, but few solutions.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
The 849 feels incrementally smoother and more confidence inspiring than its predecessor when driven in anger, thanks to drivetrain and suspension improvements.

— Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of anger

Noun

The shooting came less than 10 days after a high-profile incident in Thailand, where a student went on a shooting rampage at a school on the outskirts of the capital, Bangkok.

— Reuters, NBC news, 18 Aug. 2026
The shooting came less than 10 days after a high-profile incident in Thailand, where a student went on a shooting rampage at a school on the outskirts of the capital Bangkok.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of rampage

Noun

There was something so strong about the image of that smiling, always smiling, country queen who hid her rage and pain behind the sequins, crafting these deeply personal songs.

— Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026
Whether fighting or fueling it, the rage makes addicts of us all.

— Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of rage

Noun

The videos fueled public outrage and days of protests in Oakland, including marches from Fruitvale station into downtown.

— Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026
In June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyydecided to name a military unit after a Ukrainian paramilitary organization accused of massacring Poles during World War II, causing outrage in Poland.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of outrage

Browse Nearby Words

furtiveness

fury

fuse

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“Fury.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fury. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of fury

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