seethe

Seethe is an English verb with two primary senses. In a literal sense, it means to boil or foam as a liquid does when heated vigorously. A pot of soup seethes on the stove; the surface is animated with bubbles and steam. In a figurative sense, seethe describes a state of intense but often inward anger or excitement, sometimes kept below the surface. Someone can seethe with resentment or frustration, or a crowd can seethe with anticipation.

Grammatical usage and nuance: In cooking, seethe is typically intransitive, as in "the water seethed." When used metaphorically, it is usually followed by with, as in "she seethed with anger." The term implies sustained intensity and a sense of pressure building beneath the surface. The adjective seething is commonly used to describe ongoing, active agitation, such as a seething crowd or a seething rage.

Etymology: The verb originates in Old English and has long been used to denote boiling as well as inward agitation. The sense of boiling remains central to its history, while the figurative use to describe internal emotion developed over time.

See also: boil, simmer, fume, roil.