rage

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: violent and uncontrolled anger
b
: a fit of violent wrath
c
archaic : insanity
2
: violent action (as of wind or sea)
3
: an intense feeling : passion
4
: a fad pursued with intense enthusiasm
was all the rage

rage

2 of 2

verb

raged; raging

intransitive verb

1
: to be in a rage
2
: to be in tumult
3
: to prevail uncontrollably
Choose the Right Synonym for rage

anger, ire, rage, fury, indignation, wrath mean an intense emotional state induced by displeasure.

anger, the most general term, names the reaction but by itself does not convey cause or intensity.

tried to hide his anger

ire, more frequent in literary contexts, suggests an intense anger, often with an evident display of feeling.

cheeks flushed with ire

rage and fury suggest loss of self-control from violence of emotion.

shook with rage
could not contain his fury

indignation stresses righteous anger at what one considers unfair, mean, or shameful.

a comment that caused general indignation

wrath is likely to suggest a desire or intent to punish or get revenge.

I feared her wrath if I was discovered

fashion, style, mode, vogue, fad, rage, craze mean the usage accepted by those who want to be up-to-date.

fashion is the most general term and applies to any way of dressing, behaving, writing, or performing that is favored at any one time or place.

the current fashion

style often implies a distinctive fashion adopted by people of taste.

a media baron used to traveling in style

mode suggests the fashion of the moment among those anxious to appear elegant and sophisticated.

slim bodies are the mode at this resort

vogue stresses the wide acceptance of a fashion.

short skirts are back in vogue

fad suggests caprice in taking up or in dropping a fashion.

last year's fad is over

rage and craze stress intense enthusiasm in adopting a fad.

Cajun food was the rage nearly everywhere for a time
crossword puzzles once seemed just a passing craze but have lasted

Examples of rage in a Sentence

Noun Her note to him was full of rage. He was shaking with rage. She was seized by a murderous rage. His rages rarely last more than a few minutes. Verb She raged about the injustice of their decision. The manager raged at the umpire. A storm was raging outside, but we were warm and comfortable indoors. The fire raged for hours.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Long nails may be all the rage right now, but there’s definitely still space for short nails to have their moment. Georgia Day, Vogue, 21 Apr. 2024 Her short-cut bangs, the Melissa & Joey star recalled, were all the rage for people her age. Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2024 Inviting that in brought with it a white-hot rage, and a deep sense of clarity. Hunter Ingram, Variety, 18 Apr. 2024 Social media may be playing a role in increasing rage, according to an August 2021 study published in Science Advances. Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 18 Apr. 2024 Defense attorney Tony Moss acknowledged the jury verdict during Tuesday’s closing argument, but compared Holton to the tragic Othello, a Shakespearean military commander who killed his wife in a fit of jealous rage. Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2024 The manifesto is expected to reveal more about the killer's motive and rage. Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 16 Apr. 2024 Internet connections are spotty to nonexistent, and the conflict rages, for better or worse, without the breathless incursions and distortions of social media. Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2024 Long bobs and dad lobs are all the rage these days, but the origin of the hairstyle is close-cropped and blunt. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 9 Apr. 2024
Verb
Many conflicts, including those raging today—think of Gaza, for instance—have this underlying subtext. Adam Hochschild, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2024 How on an emotional night, as the world raged on outside of the NBA’s uncomfortable bubble, George helped the Clippers stake a 3-2 series lead. Mirjam Swanson, Orange County Register, 19 Apr. 2024 Photos and videos from the province show roads turned into raging rivers, and homes and bridges being swept away. Christina Goldbaum, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024 The report also called out a need for better evacuation coordination between fire and police agencies, noting that main roadways across Maui were choked by traffic and blocked by debris as the fire raged. Lewis Kamb, NBC News, 17 Apr. 2024 As hurricane-force winds raged on Aug. 8, 2023, igniting fires, several schools closed and the state was preparing an emergency proclamation. Jonathan Vigliotti, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2024 As the fire raged, Brian Mikkelsen, chief of the Danish Chamber of Commerce, and his staff were seen flipping through a record of paintings housed inside the building, reports the AP. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Apr. 2024 Battles over California schools’ transgender policies are raging in court. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024 In canoe and kayak slalom, athletes race against the clock navigating through a series of red and green gates hanging above raging rapids. Rolando Arrieta, NPR, 15 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin rabia, from Latin rabies rage, madness, from rabere to be mad; akin to Sanskrit rabhas violence

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rage was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near rage

Cite this Entry

“Rage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rage. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

rage

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: very strong and uncontrolled anger
b
: a fit of violent anger
2
: violent action (as of wind or sea)
3
: fad
the current rage

rage

2 of 2 verb
raged; raging
1
: to be in a rage
2
: to continue out of control
the fire raged for hours

Medical Definition

rage

noun
: violent and uncontrolled anger

More from Merriam-Webster on rage

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