seethe

play

verb \ˈsēth\

Definition of seethe

seethed

;

seething

transitive verb
1 archaic : boil, stew
2 : to soak or saturate in a liquid
intransitive verb
1 archaic : boil
2a : to be in a state of rapid agitated movementb : to churn or foam as if boiling
3 : to suffer violent internal excitement seethe with jealousy

See seethe defined for English-language learners

See seethe defined for kids

Examples of seethe in a Sentence

He seethed at his brother's success.
We found ourselves in the middle of a seething crowd.

Recent Examples of seethe from the Web

Political tensions have seethed in Hungary as the country prepares for elections next year.

— tim prudente, baltimoresun.com, "Maryland, Hungary strike deal that leaves Budapest campus of McDaniel College open," 14 July 2017
But more significant was the 12 minutes leading up to the shooting, when prosecutors claim Skylar was seething with anger.

— erin moriarty, CBS News, "The Soldier's Wife," 8 July 2017
According to transcripts of his online conversations with an FBI undercover agent, Sullivan seethed at U.S. military reprisals against ISIS in Syria and elsewhere.

— michael gordon, charlotteobserver, "Feds confirm ISIS investigations underway in NC," 29 June 2017
But the make-up of these seething masses was far broader than the region had ever seen.

— sumi somaskanda, The Atlantic, "A New, New Right Rises in Germany," 22 June 2017
Conductor Ludwig Wicki, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia Boys Choir are all required to render Howard Shore’s seething soundtrack.

— features staff, Philly.com, "Penn's Landing gets a giant Ferris wheel and 19 other things to do in Philadelphia June 23-25," 20 June 2017
Davies was quietly seething with his performance afterward, and rightfully so.

— tom haudricourt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Early-inning struggles of Davies and lack of clutch hits make for tough night for Brewers," 20 June 2017
Its sonic and lyrical palate colored in a vision of an impending dystopian near future, with its protagonists seething and recoiling from the oppressive ubiquity of technology.

— luke o'neil, Esquire, "Do Androids Dream of Electric Leaks?," 16 June 2017
Read more: end of U.K. austerity looms in wake of May’s election setback Britain was already a nation divided, with parts of the population seething with anger at growing inequality in living standards and prepared to lash out at the establishment.

— charlotte ryan, Bloomberg.com, "The London Tower Blaze Exposes a Divided Britain," 15 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'seethe.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of seethe

Middle English sethen, from Old English sēothan; akin to Old High German siodan to seethe and probably to Old Lithuanian siausti (it) storms, rages

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

seethe

noun

Definition of seethe

: a state of seething : ebullition

Recent Examples of seethe from the Web

Australia's seethes at proposal to move BHP Billiton listing.

— Bloomberg.com, "Your Evening Briefing," 4 May 2017

First Known Use of seethe

1816

SEETHE Defined for English Language Learners

seethe

play

verb

Definition of seethe for English Language Learners

: to feel or show strong emotion (such as anger) even though you try to control it
: to be in a state of constant activity

SEETHE Defined for Kids

seethe

play

verb \ˈsēth\

Definition of seethe for Students

seethed

;

seething

1 : to feel or show great excitement or emotion (as anger) The unjust criticism caused me to seethe.
2 : to move constantly and without order Flies seethed around garbage.