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outrage

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word outrage distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of outrage are affront, insult, and offend. While all these words mean "to cause hurt feelings or deep resentment," outrage implies offending beyond endurance and calling forth extreme feelings.

outraged by their accusations

When can affront be used instead of outrage?

While in some cases nearly identical to outrage, affront implies treating with deliberate rudeness or contemptuous indifference to courtesy.

deeply affronted by his callousness

In what contexts can insult take the place of outrage?

The words insult and outrage can be used in similar contexts, but insult suggests deliberately causing humiliation, hurt pride, or shame.

insulted every guest at the party

When is offend a more appropriate choice than outrage?

In some situations, the words offend and outrage are roughly equivalent. However, offend need not imply an intentional hurting but it may indicate merely a violation of the victim's sense of what is proper or fitting.

hoped that my remarks had not offended her

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 outrage
Noun
Access to care Over the past year, the insurance industry has come under strong criticism, and two measures in the bill attempt to rein in some of the practices that have elicited the most public outrage. Katy Golvala, Hartford Courant, 23 May 2025 The two cases sparked worldwide outrage over fatal police encounters in 2020, during the final year of President Donald Trump’s first term in office. Bart Jansen, USA Today, 22 May 2025
Verb
Only recently did outraged residents learn that more than a year ago, as part of the reimagining of the famed Bahia Mar Resort, the city agreed to remove the basketball courts and replace them with pickleball courts. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 May 2025 Race aside, police brutality by anyone against anyone should outrage everyone. Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 11 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for outrage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outrage
Noun
  • They were quickly showered with boos and insults, along with various food items and beverages, including my mother’s large Pepsi.
    Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 17 May 2025
  • The statue was widely reviled by locals, who saw its abstract look as ugly and an insult to the first lady.
    Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 16 May 2025
Noun
  • But there’s vulnerability buried in that sort of indignation.
    Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 16 May 2025
  • The feeling was one of indignation at the officiating and at UEFA, European football’s governing body.
    Pol Ballús, New York Times, 11 May 2025
Verb
  • Richard was known for being outspoken, if not arrogant, consistently rubbing his Tagi tribe the wrong way and offending some of them with his blatant display of nudity on the island.
    Nick Caruso, TVLine, 27 May 2025
  • Moskowitz said at the time, with tongue in cheek, he was offended by the low price, writing on social media that the store had reduced the value of his life’s work to less than $9.
    Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 27 May 2025
Verb
  • Target also said its first-quarter performance was affected by negative reactions to its pullback on diversity, equity and inclusion policies (DEI) in January, which angered some loyal customers who have long praised the company's commitment to inclusiveness.
    Siddharth Cavale, USA Today, 22 May 2025
  • Trump was angered by reading reports that Springsteen, without referring to the president by name, had criticized the administration in a Manchester concert.
    Jem Aswad, Variety, 21 May 2025
Noun
  • Prosecutors say the 45-year-old Massachusetts woman struck O’Keefe with her car in a fit of drunken rage and left him to die outside the home of another Boston cop during a massive snowstorm in January 2022.
    Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 22 May 2025
  • Diddy was accused of blowing up Kid Cudi’s car in a jealous rage Shortly after finding out about their relationship, Combs allegedly threatened to blow up Mescudi's car, as detailed in the lawsuit.
    Jordana Comiter, People.com, 22 May 2025
Verb
  • More: The infuriating ambiguity of 'fine' Broadhurst has since graduated from Oxford and is now pursuing a masters in forensic speech science at the University of York.
    Charles Trepany, USA Today, 22 May 2025
  • But the new textbooks have infuriated former government loyalists who defend their version of history.
    Simon Montlake, Christian Science Monitor, 16 May 2025
Noun
  • There’s tenderness and frustration, playfulness and sarcasm; respect and fatigue.
    Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2025
  • TikTok viewers chimed in with a mix of sarcasm, solidarity, and surprisingly creative suggestions.
    Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • But director Tony Scott makes the most of the racing sequences, up-close bursts of speed and fury that put you right in the thick of the action.
    James Mercadante, EW.com, 20 May 2025
  • In another example, also reported by Newsweek, a post showing a photo of several bags occupying multiple seats at an airport gate sparked fury among netizens.
    Matthew Impelli, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Outrage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outrage. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.

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