Synonym Chooser

How does the noun indignation differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of indignation are anger, fury, ire, rage, and wrath. While all these words mean "an intense emotional state induced by displeasure," indignation stresses righteous anger at what one considers unfair, mean, or shameful.

a comment that caused general indignation

When can anger be used instead of indignation?

The synonyms anger and indignation are sometimes interchangeable, but anger, the most general term, names the reaction but by itself does not convey cause or intensity.

tried to hide his anger

When could ire be used to replace indignation?

The words ire and indignation are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ire, more frequent in literary contexts, suggests an intense anger, often with an evident display of feeling.

cheeks flushed with ire

How are the words rage and fury related as synonyms of indignation?

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

shook with rage
could not contain his fury

When is it sensible to use wrath instead of indignation?

While the synonyms wrath and indignation are close in meaning, wrath is likely to suggest a desire or intent to punish or get revenge.

I feared her wrath if I was discovered

Examples 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 indignation Advertisement Americans who have had their run-ins with the health insurance industry, never mind our own inadequate welfare state, won’t have trouble feeling indignation. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2024 If pressed, some argue the indignation over the defacement itself betrays how little our culture values the planet when compared to inanimate works of canvas and pigment. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 17 Sep. 2024 Working with great discipline and with zero timidity, the writer-director is unafraid to provoke feminist indignation by revealing Romy’s complicity in her subjugation. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 Righteous indignation is the language of the day, and predictions about the death of the transatlantic alliance abound. Jeremy Shapiro, Foreign Affairs, 15 May 2018 See all Example Sentences for indignation 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indignation
Noun
  • Research shows that writing allows individuals to process complex feelings, such as anger, sadness or disappointment, with greater depth and clarity.
    Mark Travers, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024
  • According to a press release, with each playlist, Swift has chosen songs from her own catalog that fit each stage of a breakup: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.
    Marina Watts, People.com, 29 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • Witnesses told Reuters that the chaos started after the referee officiating the game sent off a player in the dying minutes, sparking outrage and stone-pelting from angry fans.
    Kathleen Magramo, CNN, 2 Dec. 2024
  • As expected, the majority of comments expressed their shock and outrage at her highly unorthodox approach to Thanksgiving turkey preparation.
    Danielle Jennings, People.com, 29 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • The grand-scale and high-energy images befit the cosmic imagination of silent-era spectacles; the performances delivered in forum-filling diction match the expressionistic fury of nineteen-twenties movies, too. 4.
    Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2024
  • Climate groups compared the final deal to a band-aid on a bullet wound, and developing countries reacted with fury.
    Laura Paddison, CNN, 25 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • Violating any of these guidelines cancels your buggy ride for the day – and will earn the wrath of your travel mates.
    Adam Morganstern, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
  • If streams go out during that halftime show, Netflix better be ready to face the wrath of the BeyHive.
    Justin Curto, Vulture, 18 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • Golf hoodies are all the rage, and this comes in 22 different colorful options.
    Dylan Reffe, USA TODAY, 30 Nov. 2024
  • Lululemon Women’s Tear-away Mid-rise Track Pants $128 $69 at Lululemon I was born in 1989 and fondly remember when tearaways were all the rage in the late ‘90s.
    Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 28 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • The scene modes can and cannot work depending on the mood of the phone’s processing.
    Prakhar Khanna, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024
  • The recent rut put Locksley in a contemplative mood.
    Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 29 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near indignation

Cite this Entry

“Indignation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indignation. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on indignation

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