ENGLISH
REFERENCE

furious

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈfjʊɹiəs// UK //fjˈɔːɹɪəs// fu·ri·ous General-service

adj. extremely angry. You use this when someone is much more than just upset or annoyed.

adj. extremely or intensely angry; full of wild or uncontrolled rage. Often used to describe a person's emotional state or their physical reaction to a perceived injustice.


SIMPLE

He was furious when he saw the damage to his car.

CONTEXTUAL

The manager was furious that the team had missed the deadline for the third time this month.

COMPLEX

While she maintained a calm exterior during the meeting, she was secretly furious at the blatant disregard for the safety protocols they had established.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English furious, from Old French furieus, from Latin furiōsus. Displaced native Old English hātheort (literally “hot-hearted”).

Usage

Commonly followed by the prepositions 'at' or 'with' for people, and 'about' or 'that' for situations.

Pitfall

I am very furiousI am furiousFurious is a non-gradable adjective; it already means 'very angry', so it is not typically used with 'very'.

Idioms1 entry

© 2026 English Reference