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 The permitting reform that was supposed to pass in parallel with the climate bill never became law because of Republican recalcitrance and Democratic fears of incurring the wrath of environmentalists. Jason Furman, Foreign Affairs, 10 Feb. 2025 In a nutshell, Queen Cassiopeia’s vanity was only eclipsed by the wrath of Greek gods, namely Hera, the queen of the gods, and Poseidon, the god of the sea. Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 9 Feb. 2025 At the risk of incurring the wrath of Chiefs fans, this is a perfect 10 for me. Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 6 Feb. 2025 Silvia’s braggadocio wins her the attention of a heartthrob named Diego (Agustín Sosa) — and the wrath of local beauty Natalia (Dolores Oliverio), who has always believed that Diego was hers. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wrath
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrath
Noun
  • Ellen’s decision to end her husband’s life was not an act of anger or violence.
    Tony Ray, Orlando Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2025
  • Even the mere thought of it can evoke strong emotions like fear, anger and anxiety.
    Ujjwal Ramtekkar, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Team members need to feel safe to voice their opinions, ask judgment-free questions, and admit mistakes without fear of punishment and humiliation.
    Martin Zwilling, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
  • When failure is punished, people stop trying for fear of punishment, and progress slows to a crawl.
    Tom Zirpoli, Baltimore Sun, 4 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Vance’s speech spurred the Europeans to unite in their indignation.
    Simon Shuster/Berlin, TIME, 22 Feb. 2025
  • If Jude’s previous two fiction films were Molotov cocktails of indignation, his latest secretes a kind of scentless poison that gets at the banality with which social injustices are processed and rationalized.
    Beatrice Loayza, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • However, the most serious penalty is intact—Google's popular Chrome browser is still on the chopping block.
    Ryan Whitwam, Ars Technica, 10 Mar. 2025
  • And that included nine penalties against him in only seven games last fall.
    Pat Leonard, Hartford Courant, 10 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Then, in September, 1885, in Rock Springs, the fury spilled over.
    Michael Luo, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
  • The firings sparked an increase in posts to a Reddit channel for federal government workers, which urged those who were frustrated and recently laid off to refocus their fury and consider running for public office instead.
    Samantha-Jo Roth, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 3 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The software glitch sparked outrage online, leading to more than 18,500 comments on the viral TikTok video already.
    Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Two Republican senators want to prevent DeSantis from building golf courses and pickleball courts on state parks, following outrage by Floridians to a previous proposal from the governor’s administration.
    Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Melanie does that beautifully, unraveling through rage.
    Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 28 Feb. 2025
  • His parents fought repeatedly, and his father often used his fists on him to take out his rage, according to The Associated Press.
    Stephanie Giang-Paunon, Fox News, 27 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The film’s effect on the perception of Brazil’s powerful military has been something of a virtuous circle: the political mood powers the popularity of the movie, and the movie in turn powers the political mood.
    Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Feb. 2025
  • Listen to Music While listening to music might not be possible in all jobs, it has been proven to increase mood in some work settings.
    Lieke ten Brummelhuis, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wrath.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrath. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.

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