Definition
a lot of anger, excitement, or activity, caused by a particular event or situation
View the full definition in the Macmillan Dictionary
Origin and usage
The noun furore came into English from Italian ‘furore’ and ultimately from Latin ‘furor’, meaning fury or madness. It was first used in English in the 18th century, but the current meaning dates from the mid 20th century.
Examples
The noun furore refers to a big fuss, often one that is of short duration. Furore is used in British English; the American spelling is furor, identical to the word’s Latin root. Furores often erupt in the media and, tellingly, ‘media’ is one of the most frequent noun modifiers of furore. Frequent adjectives include ‘nationwide’, ‘worldwide’ and ‘recent’. Verbs of which furore is an object include ‘spark’ and ‘ignite’, as well as less colourful ones like ‘provoke’, ‘arouse’ and ’cause’. Furore is often followed by the preposition ‘over’, telling you what the fuss is about.
Quotations
“Scotland’s secretary for education, John Swinney, has apologised following the exam result furore.”
(orcadian.co.uk)
“The furore over the fish-eating vegan influencer is a warning to us all.”
(theguardian.com)
“Finland’s new prime minister, Sanna Marin, brushed aside the media furore over her appointment as the world’s youngest serving head of government.”
(theguardian.com)
Related words
storm, kerfuffle, uproar
Browse related words in the Macmillan Thesaurus.
