umbrage

Definition of umbragenext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word umbrage distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of umbrage are dudgeon, huff, offense, pique, and resentment. While all these words mean "an emotional response to or an emotional state resulting from a slight or indignity," umbrage may suggest hurt pride, resentment, or suspicion of another's motives.

took umbrage at the offer of advice

When would dudgeon be a good substitute for umbrage?

Although the words dudgeon and umbrage have much in common, dudgeon suggests an angry fit of indignation.

stormed out of the meeting in high dudgeon

When could huff be used to replace umbrage?

The words huff and umbrage can be used in similar contexts, but huff implies a peevish short-lived spell of anger usually at a petty cause.

in a huff he slammed the door

When is offense a more appropriate choice than umbrage?

While the synonyms offense and umbrage are close in meaning, offense implies hurt displeasure.

takes deep offense at racial slurs

When can pique be used instead of umbrage?

The meanings of pique and umbrage largely overlap; however, pique applies to a transient feeling of wounded vanity.

in a pique I foolishly declined the invitation

When might resentment be a better fit than umbrage?

While in some cases nearly identical to umbrage, resentment suggests lasting indignation or ill will.

harbored a lifelong resentment of his brother

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 umbrage Met by protests Brittin was met at the front of the BBC’s New Broadcasting House HQ in London by a small group of protesters holding National Union of Journalists placards, taking umbrage with the layoffs in the BBC News division. Max Goldbart, Deadline, 18 May 2026 In February, Charli also shared a companion album for Emerald Fennell’s film adaptation of Wuthering Heights, which featured John Cale and Sky Ferreira (although Ferreira took some umbrage with the release, claiming that the soundtrack drew significantly on her old demos). Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 10 May 2026 Desmond took particular umbrage with that program. Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026 Some might take umbrage over that absence, others might be content in just wanting to relive the music that moved them so back when. Randy Myers, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for umbrage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for umbrage
Noun
  • Rhodes celebrated with the crowd at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, while Gunther walked back up the entrance ramp in a huff.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 31 May 2026
  • David walks out of the kitchen and Moira huffs and takes his spot over the pot.
    Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Death is often a flash point for communal anger.
    Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 29 May 2026
  • Lemieux was known for diving on the ice, embellishments that drew the anger of opponents, Farber said, and often his own teammates.
    Dan Robson, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Noun
  • Teachers, nurses and doctors across the country regularly sound alarms about being overworked and underfunded, and many end up leaving their public jobs in frustration at impossible conditions.
    Ola Morris Innset, The Dial, 2 June 2026
  • Big Pharma is betting that its messaging machine can outlast public frustration — lawmakers should call their bluff.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 2 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
Noun
  • Maxim voiced frustration that repairs weren’t happening quickly enough and resentment at the intrusion on his privacy as workers came in and out.
    Zahra Ullah, CNN Money, 7 June 2026
  • Too few advocates Former teammates, including star cornerback Richard Sherman, thought Seahawks coach Pete Carroll coddled Wilson early in the quarterback's career, leading to resentment from members of a defense that led the league in points allowed across an NFL-record four consecutive seasons.
    Mike Sando, New York Times, 5 June 2026
Noun
  • Beck is in a state of high dudgeon, because there’s a big shipment due and two of his drivers are AWOL.
    Chris Klimek, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
  • Close’s game, canny performance of reliving her own past couldn’t quite obscure the ungainliness of some of Webber’s songs, the dudgeon and occasional monotony of the sung-through score, or the strain of trying to generate plot friction in a story with only four major characters.
    Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 21 Oct. 2024
Noun
  • Her remarks were met with groans, loud exhaling and other audible exasperation from a court gallery filled with victims and their families.
    Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 28 May 2026
  • The novel’s omniscient narrator can barely conceal their exasperation, relaying key details like place and time with a winking mix of hostility and resignation.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 May 2026
Noun
  • Yet Trump’s irritation only grew.
    Ted Johnson, Deadline, 7 June 2026
  • The tradeoff is that the vitamin A derivative can cause dryness and irritation, especially as skin initially adjusts to it.
    Jenny Berg, InStyle, 4 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Umbrage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/umbrage. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.

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