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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

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
If the debate over City Hall’s future rages into the summer, the Mavericks can pivot to the 110-acre former home of Valley View, which was demolished in 2021. Brad Townsend, Dallas Morning News, 25 Mar. 2026 But Adelman is not going to call rage timeouts. Troy Renck, Denver Post, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
As the war in Iran rages on, mortgage rates are one casualty. Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026 Here’s hoping Raye keeps that fire raging. Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rage
Noun
  • Here are six ways fans can join the local World Cup frenzy in the coming weeks, including one exhibit that’s already open.
    Dan Kelly March 29, Kansas City Star, 29 Mar. 2026
  • The same frenzy has taken hold online.
    Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 28 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • National media stories appear almost daily about taxpayers’ anger over ever increasing levies on their homes.
    Jon Coupal, Oc Register, 27 Mar. 2026
  • Iannarelli discussed how threatening individuals often escalate their anger verbally.
    Evonne Andris, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Labubus made popular by celebrities Olivia Attwood, Simone Biles and others joined in on the 2025 Labubu craze, contributing to its popularity.
    Julia Gomez, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
  • The craze of public companies that once sought to mimic Strategy by stocking up on bitcoin as a company treasury asset were the essence of the crypto market last summer.
    Tanaya Macheel, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Shon Lowe, a Chicago-area resident, is a patient advocate and caregiver to her mother, Terrie Montgomery, a longtime advocate who lives with frontotemporal dementia.
    Shon Lowe, Twin Cities, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Prosecutors used details from the home takeover to argue for a lengthy prison term, describing how Serrano and other gangsters took advantage of an 84-year-old woman who had dementia.
    Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • UConn Huskies stormed back from the dead, erasing a massive deficit before freshman Braylon Mullins buried a 35-foot buzzer-beater to seal a stunning 73–72 win in the Elite Eight.
    Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Fungi aren’t literally storming areas like rain or hail, but storms act as the vehicle while the spores supply the threat.
    Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • As of Tuesday morning, the Audace was steaming past the Bahamas while Total’s gas trading desk fields bids from potential buyers in Europe and Asia.
    Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 31 Mar. 2026
  • This all comes as the legal fight over the audit steams ahead, over 15 months after 72% of the state signed off on the ballot measure.
    Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 28 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Officers rushed to the scene in a popular shopping center after receiving an emergency call reporting a rampage by a knife-wielding man.
    ABC News, ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Three men ages 30, 43 and 69, along with three women ages 30, 49 and 79 suffered minor injuries in the rampage, police said.
    Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Surely there was something more beneath all this mild pleasantness, some edge of resentment, a few shards of indignation on the brink of cutting through.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
  • To his astonishment — and culinary indignation — the screen returned an absolute void.
    Paula Soria, AZCentral.com, 23 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Rage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rage. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.

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