furious, a.
(ˈfjʊərɪəs)
Also 4 furyus, 5–6 Sc. -ius, 5 Sc. furiouss, -eous, 5–6 furyous, 6 furiouse.
[a. OF. furieus (mod.F. furieux), ad. L. furiōsus, f. furia fury.]
1. a. Of a person, an animal, etc.: Full of fury or fierce passion; mad with anger, zeal, or the like; raging, frantic. Also of actions, attributes, utterances: Proceeding from or exhibiting fury; fierce, raging, destructively or menacingly violent.
| c 1374 Chaucer Compl. Mars 143 Now wol I speke of Mars, furious and wood. c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems 157 Whan he [the lioun] is moost furious in his myhte, Ther comyth a quarteyn. 1535 Coverdale Ps. vii. 6 Lift vp thyself ouer the furious indignacion of myne enemies. 1582 N. Lichefield tr. Castanheda's Conq. E. Ind. xxxvi. 87 a, Heerevppon, they began in a furious outrage, running out of their dores like madde men. 1611 Bible Ezek. v. 15 When I shall execute iudgments in thee in anger and in furie, and in furious rebukes. 1641 in Hearne Collect. 15 Aug. (1706) (O.H.S.) I. 285 Y⊇ furiousest Presbyterians. 1645 Milton Tetrach. To Parlt., Wks. (1847) 175/2 The furious incitements which have been us'd. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 419 The furious Mare, Barr'd from the Male, is frantick with Despair. 1752 Hume Ess. & Treat. (1777) I. 62 Parties of religion are more furious. a 1853 Robertson Lect. ii. (1858) 58 Furious against every one whose words make them tremble at their own insecurity. 1855 Motley Dutch Rep. i. iii. (1866) 112 The King, already enraged, was furious at the presentation of this petition. 1863 F. A. Kemble Resid. Georgia 14, I cannot help being astonished at the furious and ungoverned execration. |
b. transf. Of the elements: Moving with or as if moved by fury, violent, raging.
| 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. iii. vii. 80 If the water be too furious and deepe. 1611 Shakes. Cymb. iv. ii. 259 Feare no more..the furious Winters rages. 1700 S. L. tr. Fryke's Voy. E. Ind. 126 It got a head after so furious a manner, that it set fire on the Ship itself. 1774 Pennant Tour Scotl. in 1772, 119 From the top is a view of the furious Stream. 1709 Cowper Castaway iv, The furious blast. 1853 Kane Grinnell Exp. xxiv. (1856) 196 Blowing a furious gale. |
† c. Of pains, diseases, evil influences: Raging, cruel. Obs.
| c 1386 Chaucer Frankl. T. 373 In langour and in torment furyus. 1430–40 Lydg. Bochas i. viii. (1544) 14 Folke were there blent with furious darkenes. c 1470 Henry Wallace ii. 211 In fureous payne. 1597 Gerarde Herbal ii. li. 270 Furious agues. 1627 Abp. Abbot Narr. in Rushw. Hist. Coll. (1659) I. 434 Some furious infirmities of Body. |
d. fast and furious: (of mirth) eager, uproarious, noisy. Also advb., rapidly, uproariously, noisily.
| 1790 [see fun n.2]. 1820 Scott Ivanhoe xviii, Fast and furious grew the mirth of the parties. 1851 H. Melville Moby Dick II. xlii. 284 He swam so fast and furious. 1859 A. Robertson Let. 10 Feb. in R. Fulford Dearest Child (1964) 162 The dancing was resumed, and..they were going on at it ‘fast and furious’. 1899 Tit-Bits 29 Apr. 103/1 Pictures came fast and furious. 1931 Week-end Rev. 21 Nov. 654/2 The fun is fast and furious. |
2. hyperbolically (after Fr. use): Excessive, extravagant. rare.
| 1668 Dryden Evening's Love iii. i, What a furious indigence of ribbons is here upon my head! Ibid. v. i, I will do my best to disingage my Heart from this furious Tender which I have for him. 1822–56 De Quincey Confess. (1862) 7 Without a suspicion of his own furious romancing. |
3. Mad, insane. Obs. exc. in Scots Law.
| 1475 Sc. Acts Jas. III (1814) II. 112 The Inquest fyndis þat he was ouder fule or furiouss. 1564 Child Marriages, etc. (1897) 135 She, beinge seruaunt with the testatrix, did neuer knowe that euer she was Lunatike or furiouse. 1597 Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. lxiv. §4 Neither furious persons nor children may receive any ciuill stipulation. 1609 Skene Reg. Maj., Stat. Robt. I, 33 Fvrious men sould be taken, and keiped be their friends. 1642 View Print. Book int. Observat. 10 Except the King be Captive, furious, or in his infancy. 1754 Erskine Princ. Sc. Law (1809) 66 Idiots..and furious persons cannot marry. |
† 4. Foolish, absurd. Obs.
| 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 253 b, In theyr moost furyous & false opinyon they iudged hym a dissembler and an ypocryte. 1608–11 Hall Medit. & Vows i. §62, I have ever found, that to strive with my superiour is furious, with my equall doubtfull. |
5. Comb., as furious-curious, furious-faced adjs.; furious-wise adv.
| 1598 Sylvester Du Bartas ii. i. iv, Handie-Craftes 630 Dauncing, foaming, rowling furious-wise. 1614 ― Little Bartas 407 The furious-curious Spell Of those Black-Artists. 1636 Rutherford Lett. (1862) I. 174 To go through a furious faced death to life eternal! |