outrage
B2Formal to Neutral
Definition
Meaning
An extremely strong reaction of anger and shock caused by something perceived as morally wrong, unfair, or cruel.
Also refers to the extremely offensive, shocking, or morally unacceptable act itself that provokes such a reaction; can function as a verb meaning to provoke this feeling or to be flagrantly contrary to justice or decency.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word implies not just anger, but moral indignation. It suggests a violation of a shared sense of justice or propriety. As a verb, it is often used in passive constructions (e.g., 'was outraged by').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major differences in meaning or usage. The spelling 'outraged' as an adjective is identical.
Connotations
Slightly more common in formal political/journalistic discourse in both varieties.
Frequency
Comparatively frequent in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
outrage at + noun/-ingoutrage over + nounoutrage that + clausebe outraged by + nounbe outraged that + clauseVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “cry of outrage”
- “an outrage against common decency”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
The CEO's enormous bonus package caused shareholder outrage.
Academic
The study explores the social mechanisms through which public outrage is mobilised.
Everyday
There was real outrage in the village when the local bus service was cancelled.
Technical
The legal ruling was an outrage to the principles of natural justice.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The minister's comments outraged the bereaved families.
- People were rightly outraged by the lenient sentence.
American English
- The policy outrages advocates for free speech.
- She was outraged that her privacy had been violated.
adverb
British English
- (No standard adverbial form from 'outrage'; 'outrageously' is derived from 'outrageous')
American English
- (See note for British.)
adjective
British English
- The scandal left him with an outraged sense of fairness.
- (Note: 'outraged' is a participle adjective, not a base adjective; the base adjective is 'outrageous')
American English
- An outraged public demanded answers.
- (See note for British.)
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The unfair decision caused great outrage.
- She felt outrage when her toy was taken.
- There is growing public outrage over the increase in train fares.
- The story of the corruption scandal filled him with outrage.
- The government's handling of the crisis provoked international outrage.
- Many voters expressed their outrage at the ballot box.
- The documentary aimed to channel popular outrage into concrete political action.
- His sense of moral outrage was tempered by a pragmatic understanding of the situation.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: OUTRAGE = a RAGE that comes OUT publicly when people see something terribly wrong.
Conceptual Metaphor
MORALITY IS CLEANLINESS / JUSTICE IS A SCALE; an outrage is a 'stain' on society or an action that 'tips the scales' unfairly.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing 'outrage' (моральное возмущение, вопиющий поступок) with 'outrageous' (возмутительный, вызывающий). Also, 'outrage' is a noun of emotion/action, not a direct equivalent of 'скандал' (scandal), though they can co-occur.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'outrage' as a countable noun incorrectly (e.g., 'an outrage incident' -> 'an outrageous incident'). Confusing 'outrage' (noun) with 'outrageous' (adj).
Practice
Quiz
Which word is NOT a typical synonym for 'outrage' (noun) in its core meaning?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is both. Primarily, it names the intense feeling of anger and shock. Secondarily, it names the event or action that causes such a feeling (e.g., 'The new law is an outrage').
'Anger' is a general term for a strong feeling of displeasure. 'Outrage' is a specific type of anger mixed with shock and a sense of moral violation; it's stronger and more public.
Yes. To 'outrage' someone means to shock and anger them deeply by being grossly unfair, offensive, or immoral (e.g., 'His cruelty outraged us all').
Yes. 'Outrageous' is the adjective form describing something that causes outrage—shockingly bad, excessive, or morally offensive.