enrage
Americanverb (used with object)
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enrages,
present (3rd person singular)
-
enraged,
past participle, past
-
enraging
present participle
verb
Synonym Usage
Enrage, incense, infuriate imply stirring to violent anger. To enrage or to infuriate is to provoke wrath: They enrage ( infuriate ) him by their deliberate and continual injustice. To incense is to inflame with indignation or anger: to incense a person by making insulting remarks.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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enragesimple
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enragessimple
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have enragedperfect
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has enragedperfect
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am enragingprogressive
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are enragingprogressive
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is enragingprogressive
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have been enragingperfect progressive
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has been enragingperfect progressive
Past
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enragedsimple
-
had enragedperfect
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was enragingprogressive
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were enragingprogressive
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had been enragingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of enrage
First recorded in 1490–1500; from Middle French enrager, see en- 1, rage
Explanation
Things that enrage you make you mad. Really mad. People are not typically enraged by annoying things like paper cuts or long lines. They are more likely to become enraged by evil or injustice. Something that enrages you makes you incredibly angry. The news that their favorite teacher has been fired might enrage a group of students, and witnessing someone mistreating an animal might also enrage them. The 14th century verb enrage combines the prefix en-, "make or put in," and rage, with its Latin root rabies, "madness, rage, or fury."
Vocabulary lists containing enrage
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: en-, em-
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The Bad Beginning
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Anger (verb)
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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:
That would certainly displease, even enrage, Mr. Trump.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
It’s the Epstein files that really enrage Kasamis.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 6, 2026
After all, what could enrage reactionaries more than a confident, gender-bending, anti-colonial Puerto Rican performing in Spanish on the country’s most mythologized stage?
From Salon ● Feb. 12, 2026
That would clearly enrage Mexico, with consequences that would extend far beyond a willingness to cooperate on the issues of drug trafficking.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 31, 2024
In fact, a bologna sandwich might enrage her.
From "Louisiana's Way Home" by Kate DiCamillo
When Mr. Sveen says wolves “ruined” 40 lambs in one night, we assume he means they were left dead and uneaten and this enrages him, not unjustifiably.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 16, 2025
He claims that he invented jazz, a point that when disputed enrages him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2024
And on the social media site X, where he has 425,000 followers, Mr. Tan doesn’t just rub some people the wrong way, he enrages them.
From New York Times ● Mar. 29, 2024
This enrages Roy, who pushes over the podium and storms offstage with the other Roy Tillmans following him, aping his every gesture and statement.
From Salon ● Jan. 3, 2024
The sight of the pamphlets and fliers enrages the judge.
From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
In 1991, The Wall Street Journal reported that Remax “has enraged many established brokers by raiding their shops or top agents.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
The Times reporting enraged Trump, and the administration tried to unmask the paper’s sources before ultimately backing down.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
Year in and year out, in incidents small and noticeably larger, refinery accidents enraged neighbors and attracted regulators.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
On Wednesday night, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins reported being told that “the aerial image of the crowds from last week’s his rally enraged him so much that officials ended up deleting them.”
From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026
Still enraged from the disrespectful way he felt he’d been treated during his visit to Moscow a year before, Bobby began acting the role of a Cold War gladiator.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Maine called his death "devastating, enraging, and unacceptable" in a joint statement.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
An appeals court declined to compel lower courts to sign the warrants, reportedly enraging Attorney General Pam Bondi.
From Salon ● Feb. 2, 2026
With Kiffin’s reputation at rock-bottom, he received a job offer from another coach with a history of bailing on jobs and enraging the fans he left behind.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 25, 2025
It also had a habit of irritating and, occasionally, enraging the president so much that he wanted it cancelled.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2025
And every year, Luna found it more and more enraging.
From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
