seethe

verb \ ˈsēṯẖ \

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of seethe

seethed; seething

transitive verb

1 archaic :boil, stew

2 :to soak or saturate in a liquid

intransitive verb

1 archaic :boil

2 a :to be in a state of rapid agitated movement

b :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

The ninth Earl Spencer, Diana's brother Charles, in his eulogy hurling imprecations at the media and some seething smacks at the royal family — even as his godmother the queen listened from a few feet away?

— maria puente, USA TODAY, "Remembering Diana: What happened when millions of stiff upper lips trembled with grief," 30 Aug. 2017
Seething, his only options were to pay up and incur points on his record, or to take time off work, hire a lawyer, and roll the dice to fight it.

— josh linkner, Detroit Free Press, "Here's what happened when a brilliant entrepreneur got ticked," 19 Aug. 2017
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
Though nimbler and little less hellfire than a lot of their peers, Tar still seethed with cycling metallic bass and measured bursts of rage that paired well with that onstage image and arsenal.

— kevin warwick, Chicago Reader, "Early 90s noise-rock band Tar kicks the dust off their aluminum guitars," 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

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

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seethe Synonyms

Synonyms

boil, churn, moil, roil

Related Words

reel, spin, swirl, whirl; agitate, stir

Near Antonyms

abate, calm, subside

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

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

verb \ ˈsēt͟h \

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.

Learn More about seethe

See words that rhyme with seethe Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for seethe Spanish Central: Translation of seethe Nglish: Translation of seethe for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of seethe for Arabic speakers

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seethe Synonyms

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Related Words

Near Antonyms

seethe

Definition of seethe

Recent Examples of seethe from the Web

First Known Use of seethe

SEETHE Defined for English Language Learners

seethe

Definition of seethe for English Language Learners

SEETHE Defined for Kids

seethe

Definition of seethe for Students

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