Fume — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈfyüm/

Meaning & Definition of Fume

Fume (noun)

  1. a smoke, vapor, or gas especially when irritating or offensive
  2. an often noxious suspension of particles in a gas (such as air)
  3. something (such as an emotion) that impairs one's reasoning

Fume (verb)

  1. to expose to or treat with fumes
  2. to give off in fumes
  3. to utter while in a state of excited irritation or anger

Fume (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to be excited or emotionally stirred up with anger

    "he silently fumed as his ex-girlfriend danced with her new beau"

    similar: boil, burn, foam, rage, rankle, seethe, sizzle, steam, storm, see red
    related: fulminate, rant, rave, smolder, bristle, flare (up), inflame, chafe, fret, stew, agitate, convulse, roil, shake

  2. 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"

    similar: bristle, rage, storm, make a scene, run amok
    related: blow up, flare (up), flip (out) (slang), bluster, carry on, fulminate, rampage, rant, rave, take on, burn, foam, seethe, smolder, steam, chafe, fret, stew
    near: allay, appease, pacify, soothe, check, choke (back), collect, compose, contain, curb, pocket, rein, repress, restrain, smother, stifle, strangle, subdue, suppress, swallow, moderate, temper, tone (down), ease, let up, relax, calm, cool, hush, quell, quiet, settle, still

Fume (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in smoke, steam

    similar: bank, cloud, miasma, smoke, smother, steam, brume, fog, gauze, haze, mist, murk, reek, smog, soup

Related Entry: In a fume (phrase)

In a fume is a different word from Fume. The synonyms below are for in a fume, not for fume.

  1. feeling or showing anger

    "Lydia approached them in a fume after seeing the mess they had made."

    similar: angered, angry, apoplectic, ballistic, cheesed off (chiefly British), choleric, enraged, foaming, fuming, furious, hopping, horn-mad, hot, incensed, indignant, inflamed, infuriate, infuriated, irate, ireful, livid, mad, outraged, rabid, rankled, riled, riley, roiled, shirty (chiefly British), sore, steamed up, steaming, teed off, ticked, wrathful, wroth, bent out of shape, blue in the face, fit to be tied, going crook (Australia & New Zealand), hopping mad, hot under the collar, in a huff, in a pet
    related: ranting, raving, stormy, boiling, bristling, bristly, burning, cross, huffy, passionate, seething, sizzling, smoldering, worked up, wrought (up), acrid, acrimonious, antagonistic, antipathetic, bitter, embittered, inimical, malevolent, piqued, rancorous, resentful, spiteful, vengeful, vindictive, virulent, vitriolic, antisocial, cold, cool, disagreeable, disapproving, distant, frigid, icy, ill-tempered, sorehead, sulky, unfriendly, unpleasant, aggravated, annoyed, bearish, bilious, cantankerous, churlish, crabby, cranky, dyspeptic, exasperated, fretful, fussy, grouchy, grumpy, ill-humored, inflammable, irascible, irritable, peevish, perturbed, petulant, put out, quick-tempered, snappish, testy, touchy, argumentative, belligerent, contentious, contrary, disputatious, ornery, pugnacious, quarrelsome, querulous
    opposite: angerless, delighted, pleased
    near: accepting, accommodating, obliging, agreeable, amenable, complaisant, amicable, cordial, friendly, content, happy, satisfied, empathetic, sympathetic, tolerant, understanding, calm, pacific, peaceable, placid, serene, tranquil, unembittered, affable, amiable, easygoing, genial, good-natured, good-tempered, kind, pleasant, sweet

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Fume

The most common words with a similar meaning to Fume:

boil, burn, foam, rage, rankle, seethe, sizzle, steam, storm, bristle, see red, make a scene, run amok, bank, cloud, miasma, smoke, smother, brume, fog, gauze, haze, mist, murk, reek, smog, soup

Related Words for Fume

fulminate, rant, rave, smolder, flare (up), inflame, chafe, fret, stew, agitate, convulse, roil, shake, blow up, flip (out), bluster, carry on, rampage, take on

Near Antonyms of Fume

allay, appease, pacify, soothe, check, choke (back), collect, compose, contain, curb, pocket, rein, repress, restrain, smother, stifle, strangle, subdue, suppress, swallow, moderate, temper, tone (down), ease, let up, relax, calm, cool, hush, quell

Word Forms of Fume

Inflections: fumed, fuming

Derived words: fumy (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Fume

Middle English, "smoke, exhalation," borrowed from Anglo-French fum, going back to Latin fūmus "smoke, fumes," going back to Indo-European *dhuh2-mó- "smoke, vapor" (whence also Old Church Slavic dymŭ "smoke," Lithuanian dū́mai, Sanskrit dhūmáḥ, and probably Greek thȳmós "spirit, mind, courage"), noun derivative from a verbal base *dhu̯eh2- or *dheu̯h2- "produce smoke by burning," whence Greek thýō, thýein "to sacrifice," Latin suffiō, suffīre "to subject to smoke, fumigate," Old Church Slavic dujǫ, duti "to blow" and perhaps Tocharian B twās- "kindle, ignite"

First known use: 14th century

Words & Phrases Containing Fume

Pouilly-Fume

Frequently Asked Questions about Fume

What does "Fume" mean?

"Fume" means a smoke, vapor, or gas especially when irritating or offensive. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a smoke, vapor, or gas especially when irritating or offensive. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Fume"?

Other words for "Fume" include boil, burn, foam, rage, rankle, seethe, sizzle and steam. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Fume" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Fume"?

There are 46 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Fume". Common alternatives include boil, burn, foam, rage, rankle, seethe, sizzle, steam, storm and bristle.

How do you use "Fume" in a sentence?

Examples of "Fume" in a sentence: "he silently fumed as his ex-girlfriend danced with her new beau"; "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".

Is "Fume" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Fume" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Fume"?

"Fume" is pronounced /ˈfyüm/.

What is the origin of the word "Fume"?

"Fume" comes from Middle English, "smoke, exhalation," borrowed from Anglo-French fum, going back to Latin fūmus "smoke, fumes," going back to Indo-European *dhuh2-mó- "smoke, vapor" (whence also Old Church Slavic dymŭ "smoke," Lithuanian dū́mai, Sanskrit dhūmáḥ, and probably Greek thȳmós "spirit, mind, courage"), noun derivative from a verbal base *dhu̯eh2- or *dheu̯h2- "produce smoke by burning," whence Greek thýō, thýein "to sacrifice," Latin suffiō, suffīre "to subject to smoke, fumigate," Old Church Slavic dujǫ, duti "to blow" and perhaps Tocharian B twās- "kindle, ignite". First known use: 14th century.

What is another word for "Fume" meaning "to be excited or emotionally stirred up with anger"?

When "Fume" (verb) means to be excited or emotionally stirred up with anger, synonyms include boil, burn, foam, rage, rankle and seethe.