fume 1 of 2

verb

Definition of fumenext
1
as in to steam
to be excited or emotionally stirred up with anger he silently fumed as his ex-girlfriend danced with her new beau

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to storm
to express one's anger usually violently when she found out her driver's license was being suspended, she fumed, throwing papers across the room and shouting at the top of her lungs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fume

2 of 2

noun

as in steam

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fume
Verb
The timing of such decisions has cast a cloud of uncertainty over the sport just seven weeks out from the beginning of the regular season, and coaches involved are either fuming or biting their lips until there’s more clarity. — Cj Moore, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 Mizzou fans fumed about beating KU but playing in the lesser bowl. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 25 Aug. 2026
Noun
The tank released fumes for about five minutes, and air sensors to detect MMA in the area were set up the next day, officials said. — Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2026 Officials stressed there was no threat due to fumes or other potential hazards. — Marcia Dunn, Fortune, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for fume
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fume
  1. steam
  2. storm
  3. smoke
  4. rage
  5. cloud
  6. burn
  7. miasma
  8. foam
Verb
  • These were extraordinary, the shrimp steamed until the meat, lightly perfumed with ginger, snapped under the tooth, and the pleated wrapper held the right amount of chew.
    — Christopher Solomon, Travel + Leisure, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani — steamed under a pastry crust and flavored with seasonings blended in India by Adi’s mother.
    — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of steam
Verb
  • It's been a rough season for the Terrapins, who recently underwent a coaching change, and that's certainly not going to have kids storming the gates at SECU Stadium.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Days later, assailants stormed Moscow’s Crocus City Hall venue and killed more than 140 people.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of storm
Noun
  • However, Citizen App video showed firefighters putting out the blaze, as heavy smoke continued to rise.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Unlike the real thing, electric fireplaces emit no smoke and leave no messy ashes after use.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of smoke
Verb
  • The war has cast a shadow on Persian Gulf nations that have long presented themselves as paragons of stability in a volatile region, mostly unaffected by the conflicts raging in the wider Middle East.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The war had been raging for more than four years by then, with heavy tolls on all sides.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of rage
Noun
  • This time of year is notorious for clouds moving in over the Great Lakes.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2026
  • All clouds at heights where temperatures dip below freezing have the potential to create icing conditions, according to the FAA, and icing can happen any time of year if the conditions are right.
    — Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of cloud
Verb
  • Pre-soirée, however, Vogue couldn’t resist the chance to catch a private moment with Carey and ask her some of our burning questions.
    — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Power lines, vehicles, machinery, burning of debris and campfires can spark fires year-round.
    — Virginia Iglesias, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of burn
Noun
  • What if the atavism under way isn’t just a miasma of unpleasantness but a buildup of gas waiting to combust?
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2026
  • But if fossil fuels are politically toxic, livestock is a downright miasma.
    — Stephanie Walton, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of miasma
Verb
  • When the user presses their finger on the part of the patch that contains the wet fabric, the pressure squeezes the water out of the material, down one of the microfluidic channels, and into the foaming agent chamber.
    — Ben Coxworth October 23, New Atlas, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Waiters weave through packed aisles carrying foaming one-liter mugs, and strangers at long wooden tables quickly become friends.
    — Erik Kirschbaum, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of foam

Phrases Containing fume

Browse Nearby Words

fumbling
fume
fumed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fume.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fume. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on fume

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fume

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of wabi-sabi

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All