German word

wüten

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈvyːtən/

Meaning

  • verbrage

Example

Der Sturm wütete die ganze Nacht.

The storm raged all night.

Illustration for wüten (rage)

More examples

In den Nachrichten wütet seit Tagen ein Krieg.

A war has raged in the news for days.

Core concept

Anger or destructive power surges outward without restraint, whether in a person, storm, or epidemic.

Common phrases

  • Krieg wütet

    War is raging

  • ein Sturm wütet

    A storm is raging

  • das Chaos wütet

    Chaos is raging

Similar words

toben: To thrash about violently and create a loud disturbance.
rasen: To rush forward or move at great speed with intense force.
aufbrausen: To erupt in a sudden, intense display of anger.
randalieren: To go on a public rampage, damaging property.

Definition in German

In heftiger, unkontrollierter Weise Wut oder Zerstörungswut zeigen; auch auf Naturgewalten oder Epidemien bezogen

Word origin

The verb developed from Middle High German wüeten, with the same Germanic root as Wut for anger.

Usage tips

  • With people, wüten describes furious behavior, while with storms or epidemics it emphasizes the damage spreading through an area.

Other meanings

  • be furiousverb
  • rampageverb

Opposites

  • abklingenabateverb

Related words

  • Wütereiviolent rampagenoun
  • wütendenragedadjective

Word lists with this word