Word: infuriate

Associations

"Infuriate" means to make someone extremely angry. It often describes a strong, intense feeling of anger that goes beyond simple annoyance.

• Example 1: The late delivery of the package began to infuriate the customer. (The customer becomes very angry about the delay.)
• Example 2: His rude comments during the meeting infuriated his colleagues. (His comments caused a lot of anger among his coworkers.)
• Example 3: I was infuriated when they canceled the concert at the last minute. (I felt extreme anger because of the sudden cancellation.)

The synonym "enrage" is similar but is often used specifically for a more intense state of anger. "Infuriate" can imply a gradual build-up of irritation leading to anger, while "enrage" tends to imply an instantaneous reaction to a triggering event.

Substitution

Some other words and phrases that could be used in place of "infuriate" include:

• Annoy: This means to disturb or irritate but is less intense than infuriate.
• Irritate: Similar to annoy but can refer to both minor annoyances and more significant frustrations.
• Anger: A general term for causing someone to feel strong displeasure but may not involve the same intensity as infuriate.

Deconstruction

The word "infuriate" comes from the Latin root "furere," which means "to rage." The prefix "in-" implies "to cause to be" or "into," setting the stage for creating intense anger. There are no notable suffixes in this word, but it inheres a sense of becoming or leading to a state.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when something infuriated you? What was the situation?
• What kind of actions or words from others tend to infuriate you the most?
• Have you ever seen someone else get infuriated? What triggered their reaction?