Etymologically
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furious

Etymology and origin of the English word furious

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
c. 1374
Borrowed from
Old French furieus
Ultimate origin
Latin (furiosus)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: UK /ˈfjʊə.ri.əs/, US /ˈfjʊr.i.əs/[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Old French furieus (“furious, enraged”) (modern furieux),[2][3] a learned borrowing of Latin furiōsus, full of rage, mad,[2][3] from furia, rage, passion (see fury).[2][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Full of fury or fierceness: about 1374 in the OED,[5] about 1375 in Chaucer's Anelida and Arcite;[2] impetuous, unrestrained, the late 14th century in Etymonline.[3]

Semantic evolution

Mad or insane is from 1475, now obsolete except in Scots law.[5] Of the elements, raging or violent, is from 1585.[5] Fast and furious, of noisy merriment, is from 1790.[5] The Italian form furioso is used in music.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 1374 – full of fury.[5]
  • 1475 – insane (obsolete).[5]
  • 1585 – of the elements, raging.[5]
  • 1790 – fast and furious.[5]

Modern meaning

Adjective

  1. Extremely angry; raging.
  2. Violent, wild or very fast: a furious pace.

Word family

  • furiously
  • furiousness
  • fury
  • furor

References

  1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  2. ^ a b c d Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  3. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Furious.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/furious. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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