furor

noun

fu·​ror ˈfyu̇r-ˌȯr 

-ər

1

: an angry or maniacal fit : rage

… furor of the god of war.

—Henry Fuseli

2

: fury sense 4

3

: a fashionable craze : vogue

… her singing … made her the furor of Paris overnight.

—Janet Flanner

4

a

: furious or hectic activity

The fatal shot … caused great excitement, confusion, and furor among the raiders.

—Joe S. Sando

b

: an outburst of public excitement or indignation : uproar

Amid the furor, the senator continues to deny the allegations.

Synonyms of furor

• commotion
• stir
• disturbance
• fuss
• turmoil
• hurry

Examples of furor in a Sentence

The book caused a furor across the country.

Amid a public furor, the senator continues to deny the allegations.

Recent Examples on the Web

The furor around Kimmel comes seven months after ABC briefly suspended his talk show amid a controversy over his comments about the political motivations of the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah. —Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 28 Apr. 2026

Fay was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment and six strokes of the cane, which was reduced to four strokes after the case caused an international furor and intervention from then-US President Bill Clinton. —Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026

That decision sparked a furor over free speech and censorship. —Mandalit Del Barco, NPR, 27 Apr. 2026

However, in the wake of the Paul furor, Mills was forced to take a broader look at the franchise. —Peter White, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle French & Latin; Middle French, from Latin, from furere to rage

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for furor

• furore

Kids Definition

furor

noun

fu·​ror ˈfyu̇r-ˌȯr 

-ˌōr

1

: fury sense 1, rage

2

: an outburst of excitement : uproar