seethe

S1E1E1T1H4E1
UK/siːð/US/sið/

verb

Of a liquid or other substance, or a container holding it: to be boiled (vigorously); to become boiling hot.

Similar
bubblebroilhumbuzzboilroll
OriginMiddle English sethen ← Old English sēoþan ← Proto-West Germanic *seuþan →
UncommonScrabble 9
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Meanings

verbseethe (third-person singular simple present seethes, present participle seething, simple past and past participle seethed)

present singular third person seethes · participle present seething · participle past seethed · past seethed · first person past singular seethed · archaic first person past singular sod · archaic present second person singular seethest · past second person singular seethed · archaic past second person singular seethedst · archaic past second person singular sod · present singular third person seethes · archaic present singular third person seetheth · past singular third person seethed · archaic past singular third person sod · past plural seethed · archaic past plural sod

  1. intransitiveOf a liquid or other substance, or a container holding it: to be boiled (vigorously); to become boiling hot.

    Deep Hell! that seethest in thy simmering pit; / Thy thousand throned horrors shall not vie, / Or ever compass it!

    1887, Madison J[ulius] Cawein, “Aspiration”, in Blooms of the Berry, Lewisville, Ky.: John P. Morton and Company, […], →OCLC, page 17
    1 more example

    [W]hen a pot ſeetheth, if we lade it and moove the liquor up and down, even while it ſeetheth, we ſhall make it quiet.

    1597, Don Richardo de Medico Campo [pseudonym; Richard Lichfield], The Trimming of Thomas Nashe Gentleman, London: […] [Edward Allde] for Philip Scarlet, →OCLC; republished as J[ohn] P[ayne] C[ollier], editor, The Trimming of Thomas Nashe Gentleman (Miscellaneous Tracts, Temp. Eliz. & Jac. I), [London: s.n.], 1870, →OCLC, page 31
  2. figurativelyintransitiveOf a liquid, vapor, etc., or a container holding it: to foam or froth in an agitated manner, as if boiling.

    I obſerue our Ducheſſe / Is ſicke a dayes, ſhe puykes, her ſtomacke ſeethes, […]

    1612–1613 (date written), John Webster, The Tragedy of the Dutchesse of Malfy. […], London: […] Nicholas Okes, for Iohn Waterson, […], published 1623, →OCLC, Act II, scene i, signature D2, recto
    5 more examples

    My bowels ſeeth wͪ in me ⁊ take no reſt, for yͤ dayes of my trouble are come vpõ me.

    1535 October 14 (Gregorian calendar), Myles Coverdale, transl., Biblia: The Byble, […] (Coverdale Bible), [Cologne or Marburg]: [Eucharius Cervicornus and Johannes Soter?], →OCLC, Job xxx:[27], folio viij, verso, column 2

    O my belly ſeeths like a Porridge-pot, ſome cold vvater I ſhall boyle ouer elſe; my vvhole body is in a ſvveat, that you may vvring my ſhirt; […]

    c. 1626 or 1629–1633 (first performance), [John Ford], ’Tis Pitty Shee’s a Whore […], London: […] Nicholas Okes for Richard Collins, […], published 1633, →OCLC, Act III, signature [F4], verso

    [A] thouſand frantick Spirits / Seething, like riſing bubbles, on the brim, / Peep'd from the VVatry brink, and glovv'd upon me.

    1679, [John] Dryden, [Nathaniel] Lee, Oedipus: A Tragedy. […], London: […] R. Bentley and M. Magnes […], →OCLC, Act IV, page 60

    And from this chasm, with ceaseless turmoil seething, / As if this earth in fast thick pants were breathing, / A mighty fountain momently was forced: […]

    1797, S[amuel] T[aylor] Coleridge, “Kubla Khan: Or A Vision in a Dream”, in Christabel: Kubla Khan, a Vision: The Pains of Sleep, London: […] John Murray, […], by William Bulmer and Co. […], published 1816, →OCLC, page 56

    I saw all shapes of death / And ministered to many, o'er the plain / While carnage in the sun-beam's warmth did seethe, / Till twilight o'er the east wove her serenest wreath.

    1817 December (indicated as 1818), Percy B[ysshe] Shelley, “Canto Sixth”, in Laon and Cythna; or, The Revolution of the Golden City: A Vision of the Nineteenth Century. […], London: […] [F]or Sherwood, Neely, & Jones, […]; and C[harles] and J[ames] Ollier, […]; by B[uchanan] M‘Millan, […], →OCLC, stanza XVII, page 136

    Synonyms: bubble

  3. figurativelyintransitiveOf a person: to be in an agitated or angry mental state, often in a way that is not obvious to others.

    I vvill make a complementall aſſault vpon him for my buſineſſe ſeeth's.

    c. 1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Famous Historie of Troylus and Cresseid. […] (First Quarto), London: […] G[eorge] Eld for R[ichard] Bonian and H[enry] Walley, […], published 1609, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], signature [E4], recto
    2 more examples

    [F]or them alone did seethe / A thousand men in troubles wide and dark: […]

    1820, John Keats, “Isabella; or, The Pot of Basil. A Story from Boccaccio.”, in Lamia, Isabella, the Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems, London: […] [Thomas Davison] for Taylor and Hessey, […], →OCLC, stanza XV, page 56

    She lay and seethed in fever many weeks, / But youth was strong and overcame the test; / Revolted soul and flesh were reconciled / And fetched back to the necessary day / And daylight duties.

    1856, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “Third Book”, in Aurora Leigh, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1857, →OCLC, page 129

    Synonyms: broil

  4. figurativelyintransitiveOf a place: to be filled with many people or things moving about actively; to buzz with activity; also, of people or things: to move about actively in a crowd or group.

    Shock Box was the skankiest bar in Hasted, complete with a cheesy jukebox, cheap pints, and a sweaty club in the basement that seethed every weekend with a superhorny boarding-school crowd.

    2011 February, Kate Kingsley, chapter 30, in Kiss & Break Up (Young, Loaded, and Fabulous), New York, N.Y.: Simon Pulse, Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, page 201
  5. figurativelyintransitiveOf a place: to have inhabitants in an angry or disaffected mood; to be in a state of unrest.

    "All the north is seething," said Gerard. "We must contrive to agitate the metropolis," said Maclast, a shrewd carroty-haired paper-stainer.

    1845, B[enjamin] Disraeli, chapter VIII, in Sybil; or The Two Nations. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, book V, page 101
  6. archaictransitivechiefly passive voiceTo overboil (something) so that it loses its flavour or texture; hence (figurative), to cause (the body, the mind, the spirit, etc.) to become dull through too much alcoholic drink or heat.

    'Tis a poor Ideot Boy, / Who sits in the Sun, and twirls a Bough about, / His weak eyes seeth'd in most unmeaning tears.

    1813, S[amuel] T[aylor] Coleridge, Remorse. A Tragedy, […], 2nd edition, London: […] W. Pople, […], →OCLC, Act II, scene i, page 25
    3 more examples

    Yee come t'encounter vvith a valiant Foe; / […] ſuch as ſhrinke not / To haue their bloods ſod vvith the dog-dayes heate, / Nor to be crudled vvith cold Saturnes Rod: […]

    c. 1592 (date written), Thomas Heywood, The Foure Prentises of London, […], revised edition, London: […] Nicholas Okes, published 1632, →OCLC, signature K, recto

    [F]oorthvvith her eyes bred her eye-ſore, the firſt vvhite vvhereon their tranſpiercing arrovves ſtuck, being the breathleſſe corps of Leander: vvith the ſodaine contemplation of this piteous ſpectacle of her loue, ſodden to haddocks meate, her ſorrovve could not chooſe but be indefinite, […]

    1599, [Thomas] Nashe, Nashes Lenten Stuffe, […], London: […] [Thomas Judson and Valentine Simmes] for N[icholas] L[ing] and C[uthbert] B[urby] […], →OCLC, page 45

    Floriſhing vvits and men of good parts, good faſhion, good vvorth, baſely proſtitute themſelues to euery rogues company, to take Tobacco, and drinke, to ſing ſcurrile ſongs. […] They drovvn their vvits, ſeeth their braines in ale, […]

    1621, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Mirth and Merry Company Remedies”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy, […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and Iames Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 2, section 2, member 6, subsection 4, page 380
  7. archaictransitivechiefly passive voiceTo soak (something) in a liquid; to drench, to steep.
  8. obsoletetransitiveTo boil (something); especially, to cook (food) by boiling or stewing; also, to keep (something) boiling.

    Iacob ſod potage ⁊ Eſau came from the feld ⁊ was faine […]

    1530 January 27 (Gregorian calendar), W[illiam] T[yndale], transl., [The Pentateuch] (Tyndale Bible), Malborow [Marburg], Hesse: […] Hans Luft [actually Antwerp: Johan Hoochstraten], →OCLC, Genesis xxv:[29], folio xxxiiij, verso
    5 more examples

    When we had paſſed againe the line, and were come to the third degree, or ſomewhat more, we ſawe crabs ſwimming on the water that were red as though they had bene ſodden, but this was no signe of land.

    1579 November 19 (Gregorian calendar), Thomas Stevens, “A Letter Written from Goa, the Principall Citie of All the East Indies, by One Thomas Steuens an Englishman, and Sent to His Father, M. Thomas Steuens, An. 1579”, in Richard Hakluyt, The Principall Navigations, Voiages, and Discoveries of the English Nation, […], London: […] George Bishop and Ralph Newberie, deputies to Christopher Barker, […], published 1589, →OCLC, page 162

    Capillus Venerus, Polytrichon or Maydenhaire, the lye in vvhich it is ſodden or infus'd, is good to vvaſh the head and make the haire grovv in thoſe places that are more thin and bare.

    1653, Henry More, “The Seeds and Signatures of Plants, Arguments of a Divine Providence”, in An Antidote against Atheisme, or An Appeal to the Natural Faculties of the Minde of Man, whether There Be Not a God, London: […] Roger Daniel, […], →OCLC, book II, page 66

    [B]eef, mutton, and venison […] were cut into joints and seathed in cauldrons made of the animal's own skins, sewed hastily together and filled with water; […]

    1828 May 15, [Walter Scott], chapter V, in Chronicles of the Canongate. Second Series. […] (The Fair Maid of Perth), volume III, Edinburgh: […] [Ballantyne and Co.] for Cadell and Co.; London: Simpkin and Marshall, →OCLC, page 103

    So many dead bodies were quartered, that the executioner stood ankle deep in blood. He was assisted by a poor man whose loyalty was suspected, and who was compelled to ransom his own life by seething the remains of his friends in pitch.

    1849, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter V, in The History of England from the Accession of James II, volume I, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC, page 634

    When he had cooked or seethed the Peace-offering, the priest took the sodden shoulder of the ram and one unleavened cake out of the basket and one unleavened wafer and put them upon the hands of the Nazirite and waved them.

    1933, “Nazir (‘The Nazirite-vow’)”, in Herbert Danby, transl., The Mishnah […], London; New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, 3rd division (Nashim (‘Women’)), paragraph 6.9, page 289
  9. obsoletetransitivemedicineOf the stomach: to digest (food).

    Elixation is the ſeething of meat in the ſtomack, by the ſaid naturall heat, as meat is boyled in a pot; […]

    1638, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Of the Soule and Her Faculties”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy. […], 5th edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] [Robert Young, Miles Flesher, and Leonard Lichfield and William Turner] for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 1, section 1, member 2, subsection 5, page 20
nounseethe (countable and uncountable, plural seethes)

plural seethes

  1. countablefigurativelyuncountableA state of boiling or frothing; ebullition, seething; hence, extreme heat; much activity.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbOf a liquid, vapor, etc., or a container holding it: to foam or froth in an agitated manner, as if boiling.

Similar
bubble

verbOf a person: to be in an agitated or angry mental state, often in a way that is not obvious to others.

Similar
broil

More synonyms by meaning

verbbe noisy with activity

Similar
humbuzz
Broader
soundgo

verbbe in an agitated emotional state

Similar
boil
Broader
feelexperience

verbboil vigorously

Similar
roll
Broader
churnboilmoil
Also see
boilbuzzdo a slow burnhumrageroll

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂sewt-
  2. Proto-Germanic*seuþaną“to boil, seethe”
  3. Proto-West Germanic*seuþan
  4. Old Englishsēoþan“to boil, seethe; to cook; etc.”
  5. Middle Englishsethen
  6. Englishseethe

The verb is derived from Middle English sethen, seeth (“to boil, seethe; to cook; etc.”) [and other forms], from Old English sēoþan (“to boil, seethe; to cook; etc.”), from Proto-West Germanic *seuþan, from Proto-Germanic *seuþaną (“to boil, seethe”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂sewt-, *h₂sew-, *h₂sut- (“to move about, roil, seethe”). The noun is derived from the verb. Cognates * Danish syde (“to seethe, boil”) * Dutch zieden (“to boil, seethe”) * German sieden (“to boil, seethe”) * Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌿𐌸𐍃 (sauþs, “burnt offering, sacrifice”) * Icelandic sjóða (“to boil, seethe”) * Low German seden (“to seethe”) * Norwegian Bokmål syde (“to boil, seethe”) * Norwegian Nynorsk sjoda, syda (“to boil, seethe”) * Scots seth, seith (“to seethe”) * Swedish sjuda (“to boil, seethe”) * West Frisian siede (“to boil”)

More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek ζέω
  • ζέω (zéō)of a liquid or other substance, or a container: to be boiled (vigorously); to become boiling hot
Arabic هَاجَ, غَلَى
  • هَاجَ (hāja)of a liquid, vapour, etc., or a container holding it: to foam or froth in an agitated manner, as if boiling — see also foam, froth
  • غَلَى (ḡalā)of a liquid, vapour, etc., or a container holding it: to foam or froth in an agitated manner, as if boiling — see also foam, froth
  • فَارَ (fāra)of a liquid, vapour, etc., or a container holding it: to foam or froth in an agitated manner, as if boiling — see also foam, froth
Bulgarian кипя, кипя
  • кипя (kipja)of a liquid or other substance, or a container: to be boiled (vigorously); to become boiling hot
  • кипя (kipja)of a liquid, vapour, etc., or a container holding it: to foam or froth in an agitated manner, as if boiling — see also foam, froth
Catalan bullir, trinar
  • bullirof a liquid or other substance, or a container: to be boiled (vigorously); to become boiling hot
  • trinarof a person: to be in an agitated or angry mental state
Czech kypět, vřít
  • kypětof a liquid or other substance, or a container: to be boiled (vigorously); to become boiling hot
  • vřítof a liquid or other substance, or a container: to be boiled (vigorously); to become boiling hot
  • vařit seof a liquid or other substance, or a container: to be boiled (vigorously); to become boiling hot
  • bublatof a liquid, vapour, etc., or a container holding it: to foam or froth in an agitated manner, as if boiling — see also foam, froth
  • pěnitof a liquid, vapour, etc., or a container holding it: to foam or froth in an agitated manner, as if boiling — see also foam, froth
  • pěnitof a person: to be in an agitated or angry mental state
  • zuřitof a person: to be in an agitated or angry mental state
  • hemžit seof a place: to be filled with many people or things moving about actively; to buzz with activity; of people or things: to move about actively in a crowd or group
Dutch zieden, koken
  • ziedenof a liquid or other substance, or a container: to be boiled (vigorously); to become boiling hot
  • kokenof a liquid or other substance, or a container: to be boiled (vigorously); to become boiling hot
  • schuimenof a liquid, vapour, etc., or a container holding it: to foam or froth in an agitated manner, as if boiling — see also foam, froth
  • ziedenof a person: to be in an agitated or angry mental state
  • bruisen van aktiviteitof a place: to be filled with many people or things moving about actively; to buzz with activity; of people or things: to move about actively in a crowd or group
Esperanto boli
  • boliof a liquid or other substance, or a container: to be boiled (vigorously); to become boiling hot
Finnish kiehua, kuohuta
  • kiehuaof a liquid or other substance, or a container: to be boiled (vigorously); to become boiling hot
  • kuohutaof a liquid, vapour, etc., or a container holding it: to foam or froth in an agitated manner, as if boiling — see also foam, froth
  • vaahdotaof a liquid, vapour, etc., or a container holding it: to foam or froth in an agitated manner, as if boiling — see also foam, froth
  • kuhistaof a place: to be filled with many people or things moving about actively; to buzz with activity; of people or things: to move about actively in a crowd or group
  • turruttaato cause (the body, the mind, etc.) to become dull through too much alcoholic drink or heat
French bouillonner, bouillir
  • bouillonnerof a liquid or other substance, or a container: to be boiled (vigorously); to become boiling hot
  • bouillirof a person: to be in an agitated or angry mental state
German sieden, schäumen
  • siedenof a liquid or other substance, or a container: to be boiled (vigorously); to become boiling hot
  • schäumenof a liquid, vapour, etc., or a container holding it: to foam or froth in an agitated manner, as if boiling — see also foam, froth
  • sprudelnof a liquid, vapour, etc., or a container holding it: to foam or froth in an agitated manner, as if boiling — see also foam, froth
  • kochenof a person: to be in an agitated or angry mental state
Greek αναβράζω, αναβράζω
  • αναβράζω (anavrázo)of a liquid or other substance, or a container: to be boiled (vigorously); to become boiling hot
  • αναβράζω (anavrázo)of a person: to be in an agitated or angry mental state
Hungarian zubog
  • zubogof a liquid or other substance, or a container: to be boiled (vigorously); to become boiling hot
Italian ribollire, fervere
  • ribollireof a liquid or other substance, or a container: to be boiled (vigorously); to become boiling hot
  • fervereof a liquid, vapour, etc., or a container holding it: to foam or froth in an agitated manner, as if boiling — see also foam, froth
  • schiumareof a liquid, vapour, etc., or a container holding it: to foam or froth in an agitated manner, as if boiling — see also foam, froth
  • brulicareof a place: to be filled with many people or things moving about actively; to buzz with activity; of people or things: to move about actively in a crowd or group
  • turbinareof a place: to be filled with many people or things moving about actively; to buzz with activity; of people or things: to move about actively in a crowd or group
  • ribollireof a place: to be filled with many people or things moving about actively; to buzz with activity; of people or things: to move about actively in a crowd or group
Japanese 沸き返る
  • 沸き返る (wakikaeru)of a liquid, vapour, etc., or a container holding it: to foam or froth in an agitated manner, as if boiling — see also foam, froth
Korean 속이 끓다
  • 속이 끓다 (sogi kkeulta)of a liquid, vapour, etc., or a container holding it: to foam or froth in an agitated manner, as if boiling — see also foam, froth
Māori kōmingo, takariri
  • kōmingoof a person: to be in an agitated or angry mental state
  • takaririof a person: to be in an agitated or angry mental state
  • takawairoreof a person: to be in an agitated or angry mental state
Polish kipieć, wrzeć
  • kipiećof a liquid or other substance, or a container: to be boiled (vigorously); to become boiling hot
  • wrzećof a liquid or other substance, or a container: to be boiled (vigorously); to become boiling hot
  • gotować sięof a liquid or other substance, or a container: to be boiled (vigorously); to become boiling hot
  • kipiećof a liquid, vapour, etc., or a container holding it: to foam or froth in an agitated manner, as if boiling — see also foam, froth
  • pienić sięof a person: to be in an agitated or angry mental state
  • spieniać sięof a person: to be in an agitated or angry mental state
  • spienić sięof a person: to be in an agitated or angry mental state
  • roić sięof a place: to be filled with many people or things moving about actively; to buzz with activity; of people or things: to move about actively in a crowd or group
  • zaroić sięof a place: to be filled with many people or things moving about actively; to buzz with activity; of people or things: to move about actively in a crowd or group
  • kotłować sięof a place: to have inhabitants in an angry or disaffected mood; to be in a state of unrest
  • otępiaćto cause (the body, the mind, etc.) to become dull through too much alcoholic drink or heat
  • otępićto cause (the body, the mind, etc.) to become dull through too much alcoholic drink or heat
Portuguese fervilhar, borbulhar
  • fervilharof a liquid or other substance, or a container: to be boiled (vigorously); to become boiling hot
  • borbulharof a liquid, vapour, etc., or a container holding it: to foam or froth in an agitated manner, as if boiling — see also foam, froth
  • ferverof a person: to be in an agitated or angry mental state
  • fervilharof a place: to be filled with many people or things moving about actively; to buzz with activity; of people or things: to move about actively in a crowd or group
Russian кипе́ть, бурли́ть
  • кипе́ть (kipétʹ)of a liquid or other substance, or a container: to be boiled (vigorously); to become boiling hot
  • бурли́ть (burlítʹ)of a liquid, vapour, etc., or a container holding it: to foam or froth in an agitated manner, as if boiling — see also foam, froth
  • кипе́ть (kipétʹ)of a liquid, vapour, etc., or a container holding it: to foam or froth in an agitated manner, as if boiling — see also foam, froth
  • вскипе́ть (vskipétʹ)of a liquid, vapour, etc., or a container holding it: to foam or froth in an agitated manner, as if boiling — see also foam, froth
  • бурли́ть (burlítʹ)of a person: to be in an agitated or angry mental state
  • клокота́ть (klokotátʹ)of a person: to be in an agitated or angry mental state
  • бурли́ть (burlítʹ)of a place: to be filled with many people or things moving about actively; to buzz with activity; of people or things: to move about actively in a crowd or group
Spanish hervir, arder de furia
  • hervirof a liquid or other substance, or a container: to be boiled (vigorously); to become boiling hot
  • arder de furiaof a person: to be in an agitated or angry mental state
  • trinarof a person: to be in an agitated or angry mental state
  • rabiarof a person: to be in an agitated or angry mental state
Swedish sjuda
  • sjudaof a liquid or other substance, or a container: to be boiled (vigorously); to become boiling hot
Turkish kaynamak, köpürmek
  • kaynamakof a liquid or other substance, or a container: to be boiled (vigorously); to become boiling hot
  • köpürmekof a person: to be in an agitated or angry mental state

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with seethe

breatheunderneathwreathsheathmeathPontypriddbequeathbeathensheatheinwreatherethesheatheteetheunsheathewreathe
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

seethe. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/seethe

MLA

“seethe.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/seethe. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “seethe,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/seethe.

Source: seethe on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.