anger
Americannoun
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anger
plural
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a strong feeling of displeasure and belligerence aroused by a wrong; wrath; ire.
- Synonyms:
- spleen, bile, choler, exasperation, resentment
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Chiefly British Dialect. pain or smart, as of a sore.
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Obsolete. grief; trouble.
verb (used with object)
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angers,
present (3rd person singular)
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angered,
past participle, past
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angering
present participle
verb (used without object)
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angers,
present (3rd person singular)
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angered,
past participle, past
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angering
present participle
noun
verb
Usage
What does anger mean? Anger is a human emotion that involves intense displeasure and aggression as a response to an aggravating event, as in My mother was filled with anger after she found out that I had snuck out to the party. The word anger is also used to mean to make someone feel anger or to begin to feel anger oneself, as in That grouchy old man next door angers easily. Anger also refers to making someone else feel anger, as in The disrespect shown by the new recruit angered the drill instructor. Anger is a strong human emotion, and you’ve likely experienced anger in your own life. If you have ever felt your heart pumping strongly and wanted to scream or punch a wall, you’ve felt anger. You might feel anger when someone insults you, takes something from you, hurts one of your loved ones, or does something that you really don’t like. Feeling anger is completely normal, although how you respond to anger can make a big difference. Angry is used to describe feeling anger, as in I try to avoid angry dogs. Example: The silly jester was an expert at calming the king’s anger.
Synonym Usage
Anger, fury, indignation, rage imply deep and strong feelings aroused by injury, injustice, wrong, etc. Anger is the general term for a sudden violent displeasure: a burst of anger. Indignation implies deep and justified anger: indignation at cruelty or against corruption. Rage is vehement anger: rage at being frustrated. Fury is rage so great that it resembles insanity: the fury of an outraged lover.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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angersimple
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angerssimple
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have angeredperfect
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has angeredperfect
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am angeringprogressive
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are angeringprogressive
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is angeringprogressive
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have been angeringperfect progressive
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has been angeringperfect progressive
Past
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angeredsimple
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had angeredperfect
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was angeringprogressive
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were angeringprogressive
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had been angeringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of anger
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English, from Scandinavian; compare Old Norse angr “sorrow, grief,” akin to Old High German angust ( German Angst “fear”), Latin angor “anguish”
Explanation
If you’re mad about something and you’re not going to take it anymore, you’re feeling anger, a strong emotion you experience when you think someone has done you wrong. If you want to scream and kick, you’re feeling anger. Anger is a powerful emotion that people feel from time to time when someone or something frustrates or annoys them. One of the roots of anger is the Greek word ankhone for "a strangling," which is a perfect description of the way anger actually feels. Indeed, anger can make you feel like strangling someone. Don’t do it! If you’re feeling a lot of anger, it’s good to take a nice, deep breath.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“An abyss opened in our country,” Machado said, describing a surge of public anger at the faltering government response.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
The party's leadership are aware of the anger.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Lee’s film is motivated less by anger and more by curiosity, compassion and a general confusion, as no one quite knows how to behave or feel or just be.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
These were the biggest protests in Iran in recent years until demonstrations earlier this year sparked by anger over the cost of living that peaked on the nights of January 8 and 9.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
My mind jumped to the Cocoon, and I felt a fresh surge of anger.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
The wrinkle that angers buyers is that by event time, comparable replacement tickets on StubHub can cost significantly more than the customer originally paid.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Her response, “What’s our lesson here?,” angers him, and he tries to snatch her phone.
From Slate ● Jan. 23, 2026
It is a decision which still angers Liverpool fans.
From BBC ● Jan. 19, 2026
“Seems simple, but that’s not always the case. He can be direct, and that sometimes angers a player, but it’s always well thought out and usually right.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 21, 2025
And with all these angers there was an added agony when hopes for an end to the war were crushed as the year progressed.
From "Across Five Aprils" by Irene Hunt
He had angered viewers by declaring his love for all three of the finalists and left the show without a mate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
She's now applying for Universal Credit and has been left angered by the situation.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
That doesn’t mean you can’t be totally angered by them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
Rockstar's parent company, Take-Two, angered fans earlier this year when it decided not to make any physical copies available.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
“He is showing us that the crowning ceremony angered him, and that his power is not diminished by it. We will see what else he plans to do.”
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
Newsom also wants to reduce payments that fire victims can receive for non-economic damages including pain and suffering, angering victims of the Eaton fire.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
"He's navigating a very fine line between keeping his constituents happy and not angering or alienating President Trump," he told the BBC.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
Bayer’s shares have been on a yearslong slide since the 2018 deal, angering investors and putting pressure on the company’s then-chief executive and architect of the acquisition, Werner Baumann.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Every time the narrative comes close to truly condemning children’s access to devices, the movie pulls back in fear of isolating or angering the audience.
From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2026
And if I laughed louder for the sake of angering him, if I smiled wider, and kissed Locke longer, that is a kind of deceit that even the Folk cannot condemn.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
