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
Under former Mayor Eric Adams, the NYPD did not testify at a hearing on a controversial arm of the department in 2023, sparking huge outrage from the Council. Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 17 Aug. 2026 However, the true outrage should have been about the lack of a wispy moustache. Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 15 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
  • Whether that’s a compliment or an insult depends on your perspective.
    Omar Kelly August 17, Miami Herald, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The Fantasy Football Draft is that magical stretch of hours where friends, enemies and division nemesis all cram into one room to sling insults with the confidence of seasoned analysts.
    Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 16 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
  • The offending text directed any AI system reviewing the document to ensure textual outputs agreed with the plaintiff’s arguments, ignored prior denials from the court, and ensured that remediation would follow as the plaintiff desired.
    Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 14 Aug. 2026
  • No woman or girl should have to give up her right to bodily privacy and safety to avoid offending a man.
    Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The two women who won jury trials in their lawsuits against the county are angered that the county has opted to appeal.
    Sean Emery, Oc Register, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Public backlash is prompting San Diego to reopen 13 restrooms in Mission Bay Park this Friday after a six-week closure during the heart of summer that angered city residents and tourists.
    David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 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
  • In 2024, the artist added a fifth video, Keening, addressing collective mourning and rage after October 7, 2023, in which Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis and took 240 more hostage.
    Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Furious at seeing piles of dead bodies, Wolverine unlocks a rage ability where his devastating attacks do even more damage.
    Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Georgia prosecutors have charged Deja Coleman, his mother, with second-degree murder, infuriating child safety advocates who say that hot car deaths are nearly always accidental and tragic.
    Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Under its previous operator, Mountain View had been plagued by riots that drew negative press and infuriated locals.
    Paige Pfleger, ProPublica, 12 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • 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
  • For generations, the 103-year-old Catholic parish has been a beacon of solace and resistance for residents angry about the latest indignity to befall the historic heart of Latino Los Angeles.
    Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Outrage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outrage. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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