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

In New York, the furor reached pandemonium levels. —Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 15 Apr. 2026

Earlier that year, Orbán’s government was rocked by public furor over the decision by Hungary’s president, Katalin Novák, to pardon the deputy director of a children’s home who had helped cover up the abuse of underaged boys. —Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 12 Apr. 2026

Though some activists demanded Wasserman leave his post as LA28 chair and called for a Games boycott, there has been no apparent reduction in sponsorships or ticket sales because of the furor. —James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026

Although Ye’s appearance headlining the festival had been controversial since it was announced last week, and the mayor of London had disavowed it, the furor took on more steam Sunday after Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned Ye’s appearance in a statement to the British newspaper the Sun. —Chris Willman, Variety, 7 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