fume
gb/fjˈum/ us/fjˈum/
B1
English
fortyog, dühöng, mérgelődik, gőz, füst, gáz, füstöt vagy gőzt bocsát ki, füstöl, gőzölög, dühroham, düh, füsttel vagy gázzal kezel, gázosít
VERB
B2
1
Usage pattern:
fume (at/about/over) [someone/something]
She sat in the meeting fuming while he took credit for her work.
Az értekezleten magában fortyogva ült, miközben a férfi az ő munkáját saját érdemeként tüntette fel.
Dad was still fuming about the parking ticket hours later.
Apa még órákkal később is fortyogott a parkolási bírság miatt.
He fumed at the referee’s call but said nothing.
Learner examples
I was fuming after the argument.
A vita után fortyogtam a dühtől.
She is fuming about the delay.
Fortyog a késés miatt.
Common mistake:
Learners often use it for mild annoyance; in modern English it usually suggests strong anger.
Meaning
be very angry
Collocations
fume with rage
|fume at the decision
|fume about the delay
|fume over the mistake
|sit there fuming
|still fuming
|quietly fuming
|left him fuming
|fume privately
|fume for hours
Synonyms
seethe (Emphasizes controlled, simmering anger.)
|
stew (Often suggests thinking about the anger for a long time.)
|
rage (Stronger and more openly explosive.)
Antonyms
calm down (Become less angry.)
|
shrug it off (Decide not to be upset about it.)
Themes
emotions
|conflict
|communication
Definition
To feel and show strong anger.
To be very angry and show it in your expression or behavior, often without speaking directly to the person responsible.
NOUN
B1
2
Usage pattern:
[fumes] from [something]; breathe in [fumes]
The garage smelled of gasoline fumes.
Benzingőz szaga volt a garázsban.
Open a window so you don’t breathe in the paint fumes.
Nyiss ki egy ablakot, hogy ne lélegezd be a festékgőzt.
Firefighters wore masks to protect themselves from toxic fumes.
Learner examples
The room is full of fumes.
A szoba tele van káros gőzökkel.
These fumes are dangerous.
Ezek a gőzök veszélyesek.
Common mistake:
This sense is very often plural (“fumes”), especially for car or chemical gases.
Meaning
strong-smelling harmful gas or smoke
Collocations
toxic fumes
|noxious fumes
|paint fumes
|chemical fumes
|exhaust fumes
|fumes filled the room
|breathe in fumes
|fumes from the oven
|fumes from glue
|be overcome by fumes
Synonyms
vapors (Often used for gases from liquids; can be neutral or technical.)
|
smoke (More associated with burning; not always chemical.)
|
emissions (Broader term, often used in environmental contexts.)
Antonyms
fresh air (Clean air without unpleasant gases.)
|
ventilation (Airflow that removes fumes.)
Themes
health
|environment
|home
|transport
Definition
Bad-smelling gas or smoke, often dangerous.
Gas or smoke that has a strong smell and may be harmful to breathe, often produced by chemicals, fuel, or something burning.
VERB
B2
3
Usage pattern:
[something] fumes; fume from [something]
The old bus fumed as it pulled away from the curb.
Az öreg busz füstölve indult el a járdaszegély mellől.
The chemicals can fume if the container is left open.
A vegyszerekből gőzök szabadulhatnak fel, ha nyitva hagyják a tartályt.
The chimney was fuming in the cold air.
Learner examples
The car is fuming.
Az autó füstöl.
The bottle can fume if it is open.
A palackból gőzök szabadulhatnak fel, ha nyitva van.
Meaning
give off smoke or fumes
Collocations
fume into the air
|fume from the engine
|fume badly
|still fuming
|fuming chimney
|fuming exhaust
|fume up
|fume out
|fume in the heat
Synonyms
emit (More formal and general for giving off gas, light, sound, etc.)
|
give off (Very common and neutral for releasing a smell, heat, or gas.)
Antonyms
absorb (Take in rather than release.)
|
filter (Remove impurities before air is released.)
Themes
environment
|industry
|transport
|science
Definition
To release bad-smelling gas or smoke.
To produce and release fumes or smoke into the air.
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
4
Usage pattern:
in a fume
He left the room in a fume and slammed the door.
Dühében kiment a szobából, és bevágta az ajtót.
She went off in a fume when she heard the news.
Dührohamot kapott, amikor meghallotta a hírt.
Common mistake:
This noun sense is uncommon in everyday speech; speakers usually use the verb (“to fume”) or nouns like “anger” instead.
Meaning
a brief fit of anger
Collocations
in a fume
|storm off in a fume
|leave in a fume
Synonyms
huff (More informal; often suggests showing annoyance.)
|
rage (Usually stronger and longer-lasting.)
Antonyms
calm (A peaceful, relaxed state.)
|
good humor (A cheerful mood.)
Themes
emotions
Definition
A short time when someone is very angry.
A sudden or short period of anger; an angry mood.
VERB
C1
TECHNICAL
5
Usage pattern:
fume [something] (with [chemical/smoke])
The lab fumed the enclosure to eliminate contaminants.
A laborban fertőtlenítő gőzzel kezelték a zárt teret, hogy eltávolítsák a szennyező anyagokat.
The warehouse was fumed to control insects.
A raktárt rovarirtás céljából gázosították.
Meaning
treat with smoke for effect
Collocations
fume the room
|fume equipment
|fume with sulfur
|fume with formaldehyde
|fume a greenhouse
Synonyms
fumigate (The common technical verb for killing insects/germs with fumes.)
|
smoke (More general; can be for food flavoring or pests.)
Antonyms
air out (Remove bad smells or fumes by ventilation.)
|
sanitize (Broader term; not specifically by fumes.)
Themes
science
|health
|food
Definition
To use fumes or smoke on something for a purpose (for example, to clean it).
To expose something to fumes or smoke, especially to disinfect, preserve, or add a particular smell.
Grammar
Dictionary form
fume
IPA
GB/fjˈum/
US/fjˈum/
Syllables & stress
fume (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (fume)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: fume
Verb
- Base: fume
- 3rd Person Singular: fumes
- Present Participle: fuming
- Past: fumed
Word family
Forms
fumes
verb
fuming
verb
fumed
verb
Related words
fumigate
verb
fumigation
noun
Negative and opposite forms
fumeless
adjective
Advanced or less common
fumigant
noun
Expressions
exhaust fumes
1/ɪɡzˈɔst fjˈumz/
fixed phrase
gases from a vehicle’s exhaust
Bad gases that come out of a car or bus.
Examples
- The children were coughing from the exhaust fumes.
- Try not to idle the car here—exhaust fumes build up quickly.
Learner examples
- Exhaust fumes are harmful.
fret and fume
1/fɹˈɛt ˈænd fjˈum/
idiom
be upset and complain angrily
To be very angry or worried and show it by complaining, but without doing anything useful.
Examples
- He sat in traffic, fretting and fuming about being late.
- She fretted and fumed for an hour, but the situation stayed the same.
- There’s no use fretting and fuming; we need a plan.
fret and fume
1/fɹˈɛt ˈænd fjˈum/
idiom
literary
worry and get upset
To worry and feel angry or upset.
Examples
- There’s no point fretting and fuming over things you can’t change.
- He spent the whole evening fretting and fuming about the interview.
fume about/over [something]
1/fjˈum əbˌaʊtˈoʊvɚ sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
stay angry about something
To stay very angry about something for a while.
Examples
- She fumed over the unfair review all weekend.
- They were still fuming about the cancelled flight.
Learner examples
- He fumed about the mistake.
fume at [someone/something]
1/fjˈum ˈæt sˈoʊmˈoʊnsəmˈɛθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
be angry at someone/something
To be very angry at someone or something.
Examples
- He fumed at the referee for the rest of the match.
- She was fuming at her coworker for deleting the file.
Learner examples
- I fumed at the rude comment.
fume hood
1/fjˈum hˈʊd/
fixed phrase
technical
lab cabinet that removes fumes
A lab box that removes dangerous fumes.
Examples
- Always handle concentrated acids in a fume hood.
- The technician checked the airflow in the fume hood before starting.
fume with rage
1/fjˈum wˈɪθ ɹˈeɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
be filled with anger
To be extremely angry.
Examples
- He was fuming with rage when he saw the damage.
- She stood there fuming with rage but couldn’t find the words.
Learner examples
- I was fuming with rage.