wrath

Definition of wrathnext
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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 Cape Cod and the South Shore are still coping with the wrath of the Blizzard of ’26. Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald, 24 Feb. 2026 New Yorkers only just freed from the snow and ice left by January’s monster storm will once again face winter’s wrath. Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 21 Feb. 2026 The photoshoot was themed around the seven deadly sins, with Rondot being assigned to portray wrath. Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 17 Feb. 2026 So up and over went Adebayo, and straight down upon Ware came Adebayo’s dunking wrath. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wrath
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrath
Noun
  • The decision closed a flashpoint case that has bitterly divided Israel since the soldiers were arrested in 2024 at the notorious Sde Teiman military prison, prompting anger from members of the far-right government and hard-line ultranationalists who violently overran the prison in protest.
    JULIA FRANKEL THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Arkansas Online, 13 Mar. 2026
  • At the cemetery, drug-war widows unleashed on him the full force of their anger and anguish.
    Sheila Coronel, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Senegal 's parliament has approved a new bill that toughens punishment for homosexuality in the largely Muslim West African nation, the latest African country to impose harsh penalties against the LGBTQ+ community.
    ABC News, ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
  • Iranian authorities enforce laws like compulsory dress codes through Draconian forms of punishment — harassment, arrests, imprisonment, and violence.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • When one’s sense of basic fairness is violated, indignation runs high.
    Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
  • The other parents joined them, one or two echoing the incredulity, a mixture of fake consternation, mild indignation, and real pride.
    Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Each team picked up a penalty in the aftermath.
    Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 8 Mar. 2026
  • The French icon made his last save during seven minutes of second-half stoppage time, denying Dallas forward Petar Musa’s volley near the penalty spot with a diving two-handed parry to preserve the victory and his 26th shutout in 68 regular season appearances.
    Josh Gross, Daily News, 8 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Iranians will first need to pick up the political and physical pieces of their lives, and although public fury at the government has not diminished, foreign military intervention has ignited a sense of millennia-old nationalism.
    Robin Wright, New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2026
  • But the company’s move brought fury from the White House.
    Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Any proposal to increase taxes on that same November ballot — however justified — is almost certainly doomed, and might even add to the miasma of faux outrage that’s already surrounding the statewide tax cut.
    Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026
  • As the dust slowly settles, Democrats predict a wave of outrage, especially over the new voting restrictions.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Hoover’s books inspire obsession, rage, devotion, the kind of energy that makes people purchase limited edition copies or declare themselves her biggest haters.
    CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2026
  • The visionary who saved rage rap from eternal Carti pastiche?
    Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • This French brasserie has an outdoor garden that genuinely feels like a different city — lush and tropical with towering palms, flowering plants, and elegant mood lighting inspired by Parisian garden parties.
    Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
  • But the mood was less buoyant at the JBX, or Joburg Xchange, a three-day industry event running parallel to the festival.
    Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 9 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Wrath.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrath. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.

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