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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun rage differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of rage are anger, fury, indignation, ire, and wrath. While all these words mean "an intense emotional state induced by displeasure," rage and fury suggest loss of self-control from violence of emotion.

shook with rage
could not contain his fury

Where would anger be a reasonable alternative to rage?

The words anger and rage can be used in similar contexts, but anger, the most general term, names the reaction but by itself does not convey cause or intensity.

tried to hide his anger

When can indignation be used instead of rage?

While in some cases nearly identical to rage, indignation stresses righteous anger at what one considers unfair, mean, or shameful.

a comment that caused general indignation

In what contexts can ire take the place of rage?

While the synonyms ire and rage are close in meaning, ire, more frequent in literary contexts, suggests an intense anger, often with an evident display of feeling.

cheeks flushed with ire

When is it sensible to use wrath instead of rage?

The synonyms wrath and rage are sometimes interchangeable, but wrath is likely to suggest a desire or intent to punish or get revenge.

I feared her wrath if I was discovered

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 rage
Noun
In the novel, Rusty’s wife Barbara murders his colleague Carolyn Polhemus in a jealous rage after learning Carolyn and Rusty were having an affair. Katie Campione, Deadline, 9 June 2025 That was all the rage back then, and so many of those SPAC deals were busts. Jim Cramer, CNBC, 9 June 2025
Verb
That question is at the center of a debate that continues to rage between the governments of Colombia and Spain. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 11 June 2025 Clashes still continued into Saturday night, with masked protesters throwing rocks at a police blockade down one street, while small fires raged on the ground. Zach Lachance, The Washington Examiner, 7 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for rage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rage
Noun
  • With Bush at the helm, fingers flying up and down the neck of his mandolin, the 73-year-old stirred the crowd into a frenzy.
    Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 23 June 2025
  • Meanwhile, Bradley, playing in front of his home crowd, sent the place into a frenzy.
    Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 June 2025
Noun
  • Unsurprisingly, in 2019, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Measure W was causing dread and anger among property owners.
    U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 June 2025
  • One legacy of Biden’s disastrous 2024 campaign has Democratic anger at the refusal of some elderly politicians to recognize when the time has come to cede the spotlight.
    David Weigel, semafor.com, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • The brand tapped into the tennis craze with two versions of its EJ Egg Rocket style paying tribute to the Wimbledon and Roland Garros tournaments.
    Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 23 June 2025
  • Naked by David Sedaris (1997) $10 $18 now 44% off This is the book that really made David Sedaris famous, and kicked off the memoir craze that never really stopped.
    Brian Boone, Vulture, 18 June 2025
Noun
  • Over the past 20 years, multisensory stimulation has been evaluated as a non-pharmacological intervention for people living with dementia and other persons with disabilities.
    Anne Ferguson, Mercury News, 16 June 2025
  • Feline dementia, dental disease, or arthritis can also keep your kitty up at night.
    Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025
Verb
  • The victim had just entered the Kings Highway Q train station in Midwood when the stranger, who was walking with a cane, stormed up and started cursing at her about 12:45 p.m. June 12.
    Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 17 June 2025
  • Ukrainian delegates stormed out of the European Youth Event in protest following a speech delivered by Dasha Navalnaya, daughter of the late Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny.
    Isabel van Brugen, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025
Verb
  • The situation was on the minds of many who cheered when the Ford steamed from its pier in Norfolk, with tugboats hugging the carrier's hull and sailors lining the sprawling deck in their dress-white uniforms.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 25 June 2025
  • History trickled into the bitterness between the two sides and left Roberts still steaming even after the Dodgers’ 8-6 win.
    Dennis Lin, New York Times, 18 June 2025
Noun
  • Vance Boelter, who faces several charges in the deadly shooting of a Minnesota Democrat lawmaker and her husband, targeted four different lawmakers during his rampage, acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson said during a press conference Monday.
    Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025
  • Scores of shocked people gathered near the scene of the crime to observe a minute of silence 24 hours after the rampage in the city of Graz, mourning the victims of one of the worst school shootings in the country’s history.
    Frederik Pleitgen, CNN Money, 11 June 2025
Noun
  • Daley huffed and puffed with red-faced indignation, even threatening a lawsuit over the intent of an NFL team to whisk Chicago’s proud name off to the northwest suburbs and stomp into suburban soil.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2025
  • The Austrian government responded with indignation, claiming that the Americans had given them no notice.
    Henry Leutwyler Robert Petkoff Emma Kehlbeck Quinton Kamara, New York Times, 20 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rage. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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