wrath

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun wrath differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of wrath are anger, fury, indignation, ire, and rage. While all these words mean "an intense emotional state induced by displeasure," wrath is likely to suggest a desire or intent to punish or get revenge.

I feared her wrath if I was discovered

When can anger be used instead of wrath?

The words anger and wrath are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, anger, the most general term, names the reaction but by itself does not convey cause or intensity.

tried to hide his anger

When would indignation be a good substitute for wrath?

The synonyms indignation and wrath are sometimes interchangeable, but indignation stresses righteous anger at what one considers unfair, mean, or shameful.

a comment that caused general indignation

When might ire be a better fit than wrath?

Although the words ire and wrath have much in common, ire, more frequent in literary contexts, suggests an intense anger, often with an evident display of feeling.

cheeks flushed with ire

How do rage and fury relate to one another, in the sense of wrath?

Both rage and fury suggest loss of self-control from violence of emotion.

shook with rage
could not contain his fury

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 wrath Sidelining people who voiced those views aroused righteous wrath. Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 19 May 2025 Payton spent three weeks that winter grinding tape, as night turned to morning, a group on the fringes trying to avoid anything that would incur Mike Ditka’s wrath. Luca Evans, Denver Post, 18 May 2025 This brings the wrath of Red Sword on their headquarters, with the mercenaries using makeshift drone missiles to bomb the building. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 17 May 2025 No one wants to die in an America of wrath and vengeance. Christine Ledbetter, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for wrath
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrath
Noun
  • Law enforcement officials believe the man, Ramon Morales Reyes, never wrote a letter that Noem and her department shared with a message written in light blue ink expressing anger over Trump’s deportations and threatening to shoot him in the head with a rifle at a rally.
    Mike Balsamo, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
  • Law enforcement officials believe the man, Ramon Morales Reyes, never wrote a letter that Noem and her department shared with a message written in light blue ink expressing anger over Trump's deportations and threatening to shoot him in the head with a rifle at a rally.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 June 2025
Noun
  • The least successful team members in each episode endures a final punishment.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 9 June 2025
  • Throughout, the novel chips away at its foundational questions: Does there exist a punishment equal to the atrocity of killing one’s child?
    The New Yorker, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
Noun
  • As the film progresses, this wide-eyed curiosity shifts to righteous indignation, but these reactions are muddled by her feelings for Basem.
    Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 11 Apr. 2025
  • But there’s vulnerability buried in that sort of indignation.
    Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 16 May 2025
Noun
  • Liverpool played a full part in the second leg and PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was superb during the game as well as in the decisive penalty shootout.
    The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 2 June 2025
  • Soto has been assessed such a penalty in 2019, 2022 and 2023, and narrowly missed getting one in 2024.
    Tony Blengino, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
Noun
  • But their fury was too easily co-opted by the few who want to wantonly destroy and used the cover of protest to do so.
    Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
  • This is in spite of fury from supporters of both clubs, who have faced great uncertainty and pressure to secure tickets.
    Sam Leveridge, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
Noun
  • After law enforcement officials expressed outrage that a man accused in the Hickory party shooting was allowed a bond Wednesday, a judge on Thursday revoked his bond in a prior shooting case.
    Jeff A. Chamer, Charlotte Observer, 5 June 2025
  • These Alabama sites are focused on history, not the outrage of the week from the White House.
    Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2025
Noun
  • For Karen’s author, such rage was a real departure.
    Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 3 June 2025
  • Conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza rage on, the U.S. national debt grows, and President Donald Trump’s trade policies continue to jolt adversaries and allies alike.
    Hugh Son, CNBC, 30 May 2025
Noun
  • In Los Angeles’ Pico-Robertson neighborhood, the mood was subdued Monday as a smattering of Orthodox families made their way to services to observe Shavuot.
    Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
  • Xabi Alonso’s arrival as coach has really changed the mood at the Bernabeu.
    The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 2 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wrath.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrath. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.

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