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 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

The revelations sparked outrage in France among those who saw Gubler’s publication of personal medical details as a violation of strict privacy laws. — Washington Post, "Angela Merkel’s downplaying of her shaking episodes echoes other leaders who kept medical issues private," 11 July 2019 Jones’ arrest sparked outrage across the country, and a rekindling of the national debate surrounding the state’s Heartbeat Law. — Essence, "Manslaughter Charge Dropped Against Alabama Woman Who Suffered Miscarriage After Being Shot In Stomach," 4 July 2019 Trump ended family separations with an executive order in July 2018 after bipartisan outrage among the public and lawmakers, though there have been periodic reports that the practice continues less systematically. — Alex Wayne / Bloomberg, Time, "President Trump Falsely Claims Obama Began Migrant Family Separations," 23 June 2019 One senior administration official told CBS News the operation -- which is likely to spark outrage among immigrant rights groups and Democrats -- would target more than a million immigrants with pending removal orders. — Camilo Montoya-galvez, Kathryn Watson, CBS News, "Revisiting 2016 campaign, Trump launches reelection bid in Florida," 19 June 2019 The news of Bowyer's apparent departure had caused outrage among a fanbase who were desperate to continue next season with the man who lead them to an unlikely promotion in the previous campaign. — SI.com, "Lee Bowyer Extends Charlton Deal in Shock U-Turn Hours After Club Statement Announced His Departure," 18 June 2019 The reports on Golunov’s injuries further stoked the outrage among Russian journalists, and prominent entertainers rallied to the reporter’s defense. — The Washington Post, The Mercury News, "Detained Russian journalist suffered injuries, doctor says; lawyers say he was beaten," 8 June 2019 And Mitchell herself avoided using the kind of disrespectful language that aroused outrage among many women watching the Hill hearings. — Anna North, Vox, "The Republicans on the committee attempted to change the optics for this hearing, but don’t be fooled.," 27 Sep. 2018 The case has sparked renewed outrage among rights groups. — Fox News, "Malaysia urged to ban child marriages as older man weds teen," 19 Sep. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Democrats were outraged, and since retaking control of the House last year, they have been engaged in an increasingly contentious battle with the president to force him to hand over his financial records. — Alexei Koseff, SFChronicle.com, "Lawmakers OK giving Trump a choice: Release taxes or skip California primary," 11 July 2019 The state’s officials were outraged that Tamaulipas was being considered as a destination for asylum seekers to wait out their cases. — Kevin Sieff, BostonGlobe.com, "US begins returning asylum seekers to one of Mexico’s most dangerous states," 10 July 2019 Many men in the camps were outraged that women like Akhter were chosen as block leaders over them. — Jennifer Chowdhury, Marie Claire, "Rohingya Women Aren't Just Refugees—They're Leaders," 9 July 2019 Some who saw the video were outraged while others seemed to love it. — Anna Bauman, Detroit Free Press, "Arrest made, car impounded in Lodge reckless driving case," 1 July 2019 Conservative whites were outraged, with many saying both customers should have been banned. — New York Times, "Boycott by Whites of South African Restaurant Reflects Growing Sense of Grievance," 29 June 2019 Many fans were outraged when the Browns cut punter Chris Gardocki after the 2003 season. — Terry Pluto, cleveland.com, "Cleveland Browns: Talkin’ Freddie Kitchens, Todd Monken and building the offense — Terry Pluto," 23 June 2019 The state’s Legislative Black Caucus was outraged that companies owned by African Americans did not win any of the preliminary growing licenses. — Doug Donovan, baltimoresun.com, "Maryland medical cannabis regulators extend application period as errors mar process aimed at diversification," 10 June 2019 Its original publisher, Thames & Hudson, had neglected to contact Andrésen about the cover; the actor was outraged. — Christopher Alessandrini, The New York Review of Books, "‘Boys Do It Better’: The Paintings of Louis Fratino," 18 May 2019

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.