seething

S1E1E1T1H4I1N1G2
UK/ˈsiː.ðɪŋ/

adjective

Filled with unexpressed anger; in a state of being livid.

Meanings

adjectiveseething (not comparable)
  1. not comparableFilled with unexpressed anger; in a state of being livid.
  2. not comparableIn a state of extreme volatility; about to boil over; boiling, bubbling.

    There Grendel was watching his blood flow out into the seething tarn.

    1961, Norma Lorre Goodrich, “Beowulf”, in The Medieval Myths, New York: The New American Library, page 31
    1 more example

    But as the nation’s most populous state stares down a seething climate crisis, one that cranked temperatures into triple digits last fall and set off a series of infernos that exploded, into bone dry air, the rebuilding process is beginning to look different.

    2021 January 15, Debra Kamin, “Hounded by Wildfires, Californians Rethink Their Willingness to Rebuild”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
  3. not comparableIn a state of unceasing and furious activity.

    Otis was unfeignedly thankful to lay down his work for a little while and escape from the seething, whining, weakly hive, impotent to help itself, but strong in its power to cripple, thwart, and annoy the sunken-eyed man, who, by official irony, was said to be “in charge” of it.

    1889, Rudyard Kipling, “The Education of Otis Yeere”, in Under the Deodars, Boston: The Greenock Press, published 1899, page 29

    Synonyms: bustling

nounseething (plural seethings)

plural seethings

  1. The action of the verb to seethe.
    1 more example

    Over the winter-solid Roads, goes a great seething,— of mounted younger Gentlemen riding together by the dozens upon rented horses, Express Messengers in love with pure Velocity, Disgruntl'd Suitors with Pistols stuff'd in their Spatterdashes, seal'd Waggons not even a western Black-Boy would think of detaining.

    1997, Thomas Pynchon, chapter 39, in Mason & Dixon, 1st US edition, New York: Henry Holt and Company, →ISBN, part Two: America, page 395
verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of seethe

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveIn a state of unceasing and furious activity.

Similar

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivein constant agitation

Similar

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Middle Englishsethyng
  2. Englishseething

From Middle English sethyng; equivalent to seethe + -ing.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan furiós, irat
  • furiósangry, livid
  • iratangry, livid
  • bullentboiling, bubbling
Dutch woedend, ziedend
  • woedendangry, livid
  • ziedendangry, livid
  • overkokendboiling, bubbling
  • wispelturigboiling, bubbling
German wütend
  • wütendangry, livid
Latin fervidus
  • fervidusboiling, bubbling
Polish kipiący ze złości, kipiący
  • kipiący ze złościangry, livid
  • kipiącyboiling, bubbling
Spanish furioso, trinante
  • furiosoangry, livid
  • trinanteangry, livid
  • rabianteangry, livid
  • iracundoangry, livid
  • hirvienteboiling, bubbling
  • hervienteboiling, bubbling
  • jirvienteboiling, bubbling
  • jervienteboiling, bubbling
  • jerbienteboiling, bubbling

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with seething

All rhymes →

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

seething. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/seething

MLA

“seething.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/seething. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “seething,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/seething.

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