seethe
UK[siːð]US[siːð]
v
(of a liquid) to move about violently as if boiling
v
(of a person) to be filled with intense but unexpressed anger
Etymology
The word 'seethe' has a long history in English, tracing back to the Old English verb sēothan, which meant "to boil" or "to cook by boiling." This Old English term is itself derived from the Proto-Germanic seuthan, sharing a common ancestor with words like German sieden. The core concept of bubbling, churning, and agitated motion has remained remarkably consistent. Over time, the primary physical meaning of a liquid boiling expanded metaphorically to describe a person's internal state of intense, agitated, and often suppressed emotion, perfectly capturing the feeling of anger that seems to bubble under the surface.
Analysis
The word is a simplex form. It originates from Old English sēothan, meaning "to boil".
Examples
The water in the pot began to seethe as it reached a rolling boil.
He sat silently, seething with resentment after the unfair accusation.
A sense of panic seethed through the crowd as the news spread.