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
Over the past week and a half, Wattpad users across social media have expressed varying degrees of confusion and outrage over their belief that the fanfiction site has introduced restrictive new rules. Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026 The high-profile case, which sparked national outrage, hinged largely on graphic body-camera footage. Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
Verb
The Hitlerite hordes are murdering and outraging the peaceful inhabitants of our country, having no mercy on women, children or old people. Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026 The disaster left Boyle Heights wrapped in a cloud of severe odor, pest infestations and potentially toxic air, leaving the community outraged over ongoing cleanup delays. Gavin J. Quinton, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for outrage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outrage
Noun
  • To call them journalists would be an insult to the profession.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The exchange began when Pham criticized Myers over a play, leading to a heated back-and-forth online, with Pham eventually resorting to personal insults.
    Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • On cue, China expressed indignation about anti-missile deployments.
    Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Mind you, Miss Manners agrees with your indignation at this fraudulent maneuver.
    Judith Martin, Mercury News, 21 July 2026
Verb
  • DeChatelet, an acting instructor at Florida Atlantic University, uses his halting speech to depict a person who’s afraid of offending anyone.
    Oline Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Patterson indicated he wasn’t offended when the Dolphins signed Gonzalez as competition.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • That angered Michigan Democrats who were frustrated with El-Sayed, and brought Jeffries and other Democrats into the fray, putting the candidate El-Sayed had invested the most in on the defensive.
    David Weigel, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The president is defending the data center boom as GOP officials across the country turn against projects that have angered voters.
    Cat Zakrzewski, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The other presidents had some semblance of comedic appreciation, whether through cynicism, irony, sarcasm, joke-telling, joke appreciation or storytelling.
    John Blumenthal, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Like all of Roth’s content, there is a mix of dead seriousness, dry sarcasm, and wondrous joy in equal measure.
    Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 12 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • There was something so strong about the image of that smiling, always smiling, country queen who hid her rage and pain behind the sequins, crafting these deeply personal songs.
    Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Whether fighting or fueling it, the rage makes addicts of us all.
    Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • But maybe that low point and the unexpected departure of Stokes and the return of Joe Root as Test captain ahead of the white-ball skipper has proved a turning point for one of the most gifted but infuriating batters of his generation.
    Paul Newman, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
  • There are a variety of reasons for this — from reasonable to infuriating — why those who paid higher prices won’t be getting refunds.
    Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Hollywood can forgive a lot, but being beaten by ‘CatVideoFest’ is the sort of indignity that writes its own punchline.
    Christina Dugan Ramirez , Ashley Papa , Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Moreover, because the Sears catalog did not racially discriminate, economic historians credit the catalog as a major tool for Black consumers to side-step the indignities and discrimination of Jim Crow commerce.
    Harold Pollack, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Outrage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outrage. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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