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rage

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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
The problem with Fishback’s ideas is that many spring from rage-baiting rhetoric that has little to do with Florida’s current reality— but could attract people who might not otherwise vote. Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 June 2026 With raping, raving misogynists in the highest offices and loudest cultural bandwidths of the world, women of all classes have cause to be righteously filled with rage, betrayal, and disappointment. Literary Hub, 16 June 2026
Verb
Last January, Spencer Pratt’s house in Pacific Palisades was razed by the raging flames of the Palisades Fire. Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2026 These are just a few of the data-center debates raging throughout Illinois. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for rage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rage
Noun
  • At a time when SpaceX is sending stock markets around the world into a frenzy, the horse remains firmly at the very heart of Hermès.
    Pierre Groppo, Vanity Fair, 19 June 2026
  • Officials initially ruled it offside, but a VAR check reversed the call, sending Seattle’s Lumen Field into a frenzy and giving Freeman, the youngest player on the roster at just 21-years-old, his first World Cup goal.
    Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2026
Noun
  • But anger is only an occasionally riveting spice in this show, not the dominant emotion.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 19 June 2026
  • The decision against Rong Chhun, a top adviser to the Nation Power Party, was met with anger by supporters gathered outside the Supreme Court complex in Phnom Penh.
    ABC News, ABC News, 19 June 2026
Noun
  • The corporate world's intense focus on sustainability reporting, a 2023 priority, has rapidly evaporated, replaced by the latest AI craze.
    Jon McGowan, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
  • The ranch craze is just one example of how international visitors have embraced American culture during the World Cup.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2026
Noun
  • All had extremely low omega-3 levels and at least one risk factor for dementia, such as obesity, sedentary lifestyle, high blood pressure or cholesterol.
    Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 18 June 2026
  • Emma has taken on a caregiver role for Bruce in the last four years after he was diagnosed with aphasia and stepped away from acting in 2022 and received a frontotemporal dementia (FTD) diagnosis the following year.
    Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 18 June 2026
Verb
  • In April, police used tear gas and pepper spray to repel a large group of animal welfare activists that stormed the farm in an attempt to take beagles from the facility.
    ABC News, ABC News, 15 June 2026
  • But to compare them with Thomas Jefferson or American soldiers storming the beaches of Normandy is absurd and more than a little insulting.
    Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026
Verb
  • Primitive manmade paths have been carved among the hills, which are dotted with steaming vents, small rivers, and glacial ice.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 June 2026
  • When in doubt, stick to food that is cooked and served steaming hot.
    Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 16 June 2026
Noun
  • In retrospect, the Greenland crisis carried the early rumblings of a new American rampage through international affairs, a campaign of imperial displays across three continents that culminated with the war in Iran.
    Joshua Hunt, Vanity Fair, 17 June 2026
  • Directed by action veteran Kenji Tanigaki and produced by Bill Kong, the martial arts showcase stars Xie Miao as Wang Wei, an ordinary man who unleashes a relentless rampage against a powerful child trafficking syndicate after his daughter is kidnapped.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 June 2026
Noun
  • Many expressed indignation that a climate-friendly clothing brand would appear to go after a beloved climate activist.
    Brittany Peterson, Fortune, 12 June 2026
  • Others use their out-of-office emails to either apologize profusely for time away or highlight their indignation at being tied to work or the internet in the first place.
    Isabel Fattal, The Atlantic, 6 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Rage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rage. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.

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