scorn

No one will have a greater wrath or vengeance than (this type of person) when he or she has been wronged. A hyperbolic and often humorous play on the phrase "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," in which any person, demographic, or profession may be substituted for "woman." The university might think nothing of hiking up the cost of tuition, but we'll show them that Hell hath no fury like a broke college student scorned! The governor, after veering away from his party's core ideologies, is now discovering that Hell hath no fury like politicians scorned.

Prov. There is nothing as unpleasant as a woman who has been offended or whose love has not been returned. When Mary Ann discovered that George was not in love with her, George discovered that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Bill: I'm getting tired of going out with Mary; I think I'll tell her we're through. Fred: Be careful. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, you know.

Fig. to single out someone or something for repudiation. The entire crowd held Randy up to scorn for his part in the riot. The disappointed fans held up the losing team to scorn.

No anger is worse than that of a jilted woman. For example, Nancy has nothing good to say about Tom-hell has no fury, you know. This term is a shortening of William Congreve's lines, "Heav'n has no rage, like love to hatred turn'd, nor Hell a fury like a woman scorn'd" ( The Mourning Bride, 1697). Similar lines appear in several plays of the same period. Today the proverb is often shortened even more, as in the example.