Etymology Map
Back to all words

Furious

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means extremely angry

Where does the word "furious" come from? It comes from Latin furiosus, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
furiosus
Latin · ancient
"full of rage"
from 'furia', rage
2
Stage 2 of 3
furieus
Old French · medieval
"furious"
Latin 'furere', to rage, gave the Furies their name; English also borrowed Italian 'furioso' from Ariosto's 'Orlando Furioso'
3
Stage 3 of 3
furious
English · 1300s
"raging"
'fast and furious' dates from the 1700s
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

Furious’s story begins in Latin: furiosus meant “full of rage.” From 'furia', rage. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as furieus. Latin 'furere', to rage, gave the Furies their name; English also borrowed Italian 'furioso' from Ariosto's 'Orlando Furioso'. It reached English by 1300s as furious. 'fast and furious' dates from the 1700s. Today, furious means extremely angry.