road rage

noun

: a motorist's uncontrolled anger that is usually triggered by an action of another motorist and that is expressed in aggressive or violent behavior

From punching cars to shooting drivers, road rage … takes many forms.

—Natalie La Roche Pietri

Drivers reported experiencing road rage most frequently on city streets (29.18%), on freeways or highways (26.59%) and in parking lots (14.9%).

—Ashlee Tilford

—often used before another noun

a road rage incident

An apparent road rage shooting left one person wounded …

—Anna Spoerre

road rager

ˈrōd-ˌrā-jər 

noun

plural road ragers

Other drivers may have similar feelings or thoughts, but only the road rager responds with dangerous behavior: tailgating, pulling right in front of you at high speeds, running you off the road, refusing to let you into traffic, and so on.

—Michael Karson

Examples of road rage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Deputy Prosecutor Amy Pullen told jurors in opening arguments Tuesday that the shooting was born from road rage. — Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 10 Nov. 2026

His lack of road diplomacy—his road rage—is heightened to psychopathic degrees and puts everyone in his path at risk. — Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026

Victor Romero should not be out on bail for the cold-blooded killing of Koran Irvine during a road rage incident. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 29 Oct. 2026

Police believe Romero shot and killed Rockland County resident Koran Irvine, 46, during an apparent road rage incident. — Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1988, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for road rage

• assuage
• backstage
• bocage
• downstage
• engage
• enrage
• leafage
• messuage
• offstage
• onstage
• outrage
• pelage