wrath

1
2

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun wrath differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of wrath are anger, fury, indignation, ire, and rage. While all these words mean "an intense emotional state induced by displeasure," wrath is likely to suggest a desire or intent to punish or get revenge.

I feared her wrath if I was discovered

When can anger be used instead of wrath?

The words anger and wrath are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, anger, the most general term, names the reaction but by itself does not convey cause or intensity.

tried to hide his anger

When would indignation be a good substitute for wrath?

The synonyms indignation and wrath are sometimes interchangeable, but indignation stresses righteous anger at what one considers unfair, mean, or shameful.

a comment that caused general indignation

When might ire be a better fit than wrath?

Although the words ire and wrath have much in common, ire, more frequent in literary contexts, suggests an intense anger, often with an evident display of feeling.

cheeks flushed with ire

How do rage and fury relate to one another, in the sense of wrath?

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

shook with rage
could not contain his fury

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wrath And he’s plagued by these visions of wrath and desire. Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 22 Apr. 2025 Poland has escaped much of Trump’s wrath over European defense spending, given that Warsaw is looking to invest close to 5% of its GDP on security this year and has repeatedly called on allies to up their own contributions in the arena. Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2025 To be fully financially protected from the wrath of Mother Nature, consumers should strongly consider purchasing flood insurance in addition to property insurance. Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025 Columbia University was among the first colleges to face the wrath of Donald Trump, whose administration canceled $400 million of funding and arrested two student protesters. Dan Alexander, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wrath
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrath
Noun
  • The city councilor and over two dozen residents responded to Eureka Street after the presence of federal agents in the neighborhood sparked anger Thursday morning.
    Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 10 May 2025
  • Tangent Posts made by the X account named after Prevost triggered anger among some of the president’s most vocal supporters online.
    Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
Noun
  • Xavier Guzman pleaded guilty in 2023, but received his punishment after the case against his co-defendant, Emilio Corripio, 20, resolved with a guilty plea in March.
    Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2025
  • Bear in mind, Houston did not have a first- or second-round pick as punishment for electronically stealing signs, heightening the scrutiny on each selection.
    Chandler Rome, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Noun
  • The result was an outpouring of delighted indignation and anti-Corden sentiment, complete with an extended tabloid news cycle.
    Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
  • With Chrome, OpenAI would gain access to a treasure trove of user behavior data — data that might fuel its large language models but also trigger indignation from privacy activists.
    Tor Constantino, MBA, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • What are penalties for driving under the influence?
    Sarah Linn, Sacbee.com, 9 May 2025
  • For travelers who disregard the guidance, the TSA has the ability to charge civil penalties of up to $17,062 per person, per incident, according to the TSA’s website.
    Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 8 May 2025
Noun
  • The optimism from the away end had turned into fury.
    Nick Miller, New York Times, 3 May 2025
  • Canadian fury at Trump leads Liberals to victory Mark Carney won the Canadian election to continue his term as prime minister, Canadian and U.S. news outlets reported late Monday night.
    Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • At the time, the parish was reportedly spearheaded by Leander Perez, who championed preserving racial segregation, which ultimately led to outrage and protests.
    Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 2 May 2025
  • Any legitimate critique that might have resonated is drowned out by outrage.
    Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
Noun
  • Prosecutors say Read, 45, deliberately hit O’Keefe, 46, with her Lexus SUV in a drunken rage and left him for dead in January 2022.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 10 May 2025
  • So there’s a lot of rage from that, and rightfully so.
    Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2025
Noun
  • However, the general mood around the club is one of confidence.
    James McNicholas, New York Times, 9 May 2025
  • The new month brings a fresh wave of music that spans every mood and genre—just in time to refresh your playlist.
    Okla Jones, Essence, 9 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wrath.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrath. Accessed 16 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on wrath

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!