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

McCarthy rode the furor created by his speech to the heights of political celebrity, and ultimately to his own downfall. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026

Though some analysts see the stock surges as overblown, others believe the furor is justified given forecasts that the memory crunch could last years. — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 27 July 2026

News to Know If there was some new big furor involving the WNBA this weekend, it was overshadowed by the league’s joyful celebration of its 30th season. — Matt Piper, New York Times, 26 July 2026

Kimmel addressed the remarks and the furor around them in his first telecast following the suspension. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 15 July 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