outrage 1 of 2

Definition of outragenext
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outrage

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word outrage distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of outrage are affront, insult, and offend. While all these words mean "to cause hurt feelings or deep resentment," outrage implies offending beyond endurance and calling forth extreme feelings.

outraged by their accusations

When can affront be used instead of outrage?

While in some cases nearly identical to outrage, affront implies treating with deliberate rudeness or contemptuous indifference to courtesy.

deeply affronted by his callousness

In what contexts can insult take the place of outrage?

The words insult and outrage can be used in similar contexts, but insult suggests deliberately causing humiliation, hurt pride, or shame.

insulted every guest at the party

When is offend a more appropriate choice than outrage?

In some situations, the words offend and outrage are roughly equivalent. However, 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

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 outrage
Noun
The dismissive language triggered outrage from the public, condemnation from unions, and questions from regulators about the extent of potential job cuts. Claire Zillman, Fortune, 28 May 2026 The prices have sparked widespread outrage — and drawn wide scrutiny on FIFA. Rafael Nam, NPR, 28 May 2026
Verb
Based on Chuck Palahniuk’s novel and starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton, Fincher’s brooding and violent vision allegedly outraged Murdoch. Zack Sharf, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026 Serious states do not have the luxury of theatrical foreign policy, and geography does not bend to outrage. Nawaf M. Al-Thani, semafor.com, 20 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for outrage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outrage
Noun
  • An unusual insult in Grease came to be thanks to a flub on an actor's part.
    Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 2 June 2026
  • And, to add insult to Cardinals’ fans’ injury, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning of that same game, Jordan Walker hit a ball nearly 100-mph into the gap in left-center.
    Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Noun
  • My earliest World Cup memory—a six-year-old’s spiral of indignation and despair—is of Diego Maradona’s dastardly Hand of God, which eliminated England in the quarterfinals of the 1986 edition, in Mexico.
    Sam Knight, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
  • Ultimately, grudges are rarely just bitter indignation alone.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Verb
  • While a couple of other states have similar bills, none are named after Kirk, the conservative activist whose rhetoric has both offended and resonated with many.
    Brittney Melton, NPR, 29 May 2026
  • That should offend anyone who believes in democracy, basic decency or the idea that sentient beings deserve more than a lifetime of confinement.
    DP Opinion, Denver Post, 27 May 2026
Verb
  • Atletico were angered by Barcelona’s long pursuit of Antoine Griezmann, which saw Griezmann decide to stay in summer 2018 but move to the Camp Nou twelve months later.
    Ali Rampling, New York Times, 29 May 2026
  • Claude Lemieux, a four-time Stanley Cup champion whose ferocious, hard-hitting style of play angered opponents and sometimes overshadowed his prodigious skills and ability to deliver in the biggest games, has died after taking his own life, according to authorities.
    Stephen Whyno, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2026
Noun
  • There’s a lot of sarcasm, and a lot of personalities.
    Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 28 May 2026
  • His willingness to deliver unvarnished opinions, often sprinkled with sarcasm or humor, has been refreshing for Gator Nation after four seasons of Billy Napier’s measured — at times droning — delivery.
    Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 May 2026
Noun
  • And flatter structures are all the rage right now.
    Claire Zillman, Fortune, 30 May 2026
  • The laughter stops immediately, and a familiar look of bubbling rage returns to Ruben’s eyes.
    Barry Levitt, Time, 29 May 2026
Verb
  • Union Pacific hasn’t commented publicly on the president’s remarks, but risks infuriating the president by denying them privately to investors all the same.
    Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 1 June 2026
  • Those exemptions — and the government stipends many seminary students receive up to the age of 26 — have infuriated many Israelis.
    Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
Noun
  • That is all that is left for the Avs now, showing enough pride to avoid the indignity of a sweep.
    Troy Renck, Denver Post, 25 May 2026
  • The premiere audience gasped and snorted in disbelief as Stan and Reinsve suffer the indignity of an overreaching state — removing teens, tweens and an infant from their loving care.
    Zack Sharf, Variety, 18 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Outrage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outrage. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.

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