outrage

noun

out·rage | \ˈau̇t-ˌrāj

Definition of outrage

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : an act of violence or brutality arranged outrages and assassinations— Anthony West

2a : injury, insult do no outrages on silly women or poor passengers— William Shakespeare

b : an act that violates accepted standards of behavior or taste an outrage alike against decency and dignity— John Buchan

3 : the anger and resentment aroused by injury or insult Many people expressed outrage at the court's decision.

outrage

verb

outraged; outraging

Definition of outrage (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : rape

b : to violate the standards or principles of he has outraged respectability past endurance— John Braine

2 : to arouse anger or resentment in usually by some grave offense was outraged by the accusation

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about outrage

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Choose the Right Synonym for outrage

Verb

offend, outrage, affront, insult mean to cause hurt feelings or deep resentment. offend need not imply an intentional hurting but it may indicate merely a violation of the victim's sense of what is proper or fitting. hoped that my remarks had not offended her outrage implies offending beyond endurance and calling forth extreme feelings. outraged by their accusations affront implies treating with deliberate rudeness or contemptuous indifference to courtesy. deeply affronted by his callousness insult suggests deliberately causing humiliation, hurt pride, or shame. insulted every guest at the party

Examples of outrage in a Sentence

Noun

Many people expressed outrage at the court's decision. Public outrage over the scandal was great. The rule is an outrage against women. This is an outrage! I won't allow this kind of behavior to continue.

Verb

His comments outraged nearly everyone in the room. the spiteful comment outraged her so much that she's still holding a grudge

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

In January, Paul sparked severe outrage over a controversial video that appeared to show the body of an alleged suicide victim in Japan. — Jodi Guglielmi, PEOPLE.com, "Chloe Bennet Confirms She's Dating Logan Paul as She Defends the Controversial YouTube Star," 12 July 2018 In a July 8 Facebook post, Upper Arlington Police spoke to the online outrage over the incident. — Sheila Vilvens, Cincinnati.com, "Police called on 12-year-old African-American newspaper carrier," 11 July 2018 As the past year has shown, even those who profess outrage over social media's depredations go right on using Facebook and Twitter, Snapchat and YouTube . — Nicholas Carr, chicagotribune.com, "Is Facebook the problem with Facebook, or is it us?," 10 July 2018 But public outrage over the scooters was just heating up, as more and more Bird scooters appeared on the road in Los Angeles and 17 other U.S. cities. — NBC News, "The next Uber? Scooter startups flood U.S. cities as funding pours in," 9 July 2018 But the Sheffield mayor's act of protest reflects widespread outrage over Trump's upcoming state visit to Britain. — Amanda Erickson, Washington Post, "A British mayor wearing a sombrero has ‘banned’ Trump from his city," 5 July 2018 Days before the meeting, outrage over the LSC’s attempt to renew principal Tara Shelton’s contract had escalated to the point where Easterly’s home address had been posted on Twitter. — City Bureau, Chicago Reader, "Education / News / Politics When local school councils go rogue, can anything be done?," 2 July 2018 Public outrage over violence, corruption, and poverty are steering Mexicans to the left, and polls indicate Andrés Manuel López Obrador could win by a landslide. — Joshua Partlow, BostonGlobe.com, "Mexico set to elect leftist president for first time in decades," 30 June 2018 What began as concern inside Google about a Pentagon contract to tap the company’s artificial-intelligence smarts was catalyzed by outrage over Trump administration immigration policies. — Nitasha Tiku, WIRED, "Why Tech Worker Dissent Is Going Viral," 29 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

What outraged the colonists even more was the Crown’s restrictive trade laws and especially the harsh, militarized manner in which they were enforced. — Peter Andreas, Washington Post, "Breaking border laws is as American as it gets," 3 July 2018 Legislators outraged Chisholm’s decision not to issue charges provoked outrage from state legislators Chris Larson and David Bowen. — Gina Barton, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Officers who tased a mentally ill man in the shower didn't follow international guidelines," 1 May 2018 His conviction outraged and disappointed lots of people who considered the 37-year-old Dance a rock star of public education. — Dan Rodricks, baltimoresun.com, "Rodricks: Expressing shame in a time of shamelessness," 25 Apr. 2018 This outrages people who believe the role of thrift shop charities is to transfer clothes to the needy. — Alden Wicker, Newsweek, "Fast Fashion Is Creating an Environmental Crisis," 1 Sep. 2016 Labour Party legislator Paul Flynn, who has criticized Trump in Parliament, says Trump has outraged Britons — and people around the world — with his harsh treatment of immigrants. — Washington Post, "Trump will get red carpet treatment in UK — and big protests," 11 July 2018 But the announcement outraged 22 experts from private businesses, universities and the health care industry who had served on the committee. — John Wisely, Detroit Free Press, "Ethics charges could hurt fight against Legionnaires' disease," 5 July 2018 The move outraged Japanese automakers, which have invested billions of dollars in U.S. plants that directly employ tens of thousands of workers. — Mari Yamaguchi, USA TODAY, "Japan to US: Any new auto tariffs would damage US, world economy," 29 June 2018 Border Patrol agents eventually released everyone who had legal status, but the practice has outraged civil liberties groups. — Jen Kirby, Vox, "Why it’s legal for Border Patrol to have checkpoints in the US," 22 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'outrage.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.