anger

[ang-ger]

noun

1. a strong feeling of displeasure and belligerence aroused by a wrong; wrath; ire.

   Synonyms: spleen, bile, choler, exasperation, resentment

2. Chiefly British Dialect.,  pain or smart, as of a sore.

3. Obsolete.,  grief; trouble.

verb (used with object)

1. to arouse anger or wrath in.

   Synonyms: madden, incense, enrage, infuriate, exasperate, irritate, vex, displease

2. Chiefly British Dialect.,  to cause to smart; inflame.

verb (used without object)

1. to become angry.

   He angers with little provocation.

anger

/ ˈæŋɡə /

noun

1. a feeling of great annoyance or antagonism as the result of some real or supposed grievance; rage; wrath

verb

1. (tr) to make angry; enrage

Other Word Forms

• angerless adjective
• unangered adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of anger¹

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of anger¹

C12: from Old Norse angr grief; related to Old English enge, Old High German engi narrow, Latin angere to strangle

Idioms and Phrases

see more in sorrow than in anger.

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

An Indian lawyer has thrown a shoe at the country's Chief Justice BR Gavai after apparently being angered by remarks the judge made about Hinduism.

From BBC

Within righteous anger flooding the comments on these artists’ social media pages are more than a few folks who point out that the United States is no bastion of justice and ethics these days, either.

From Salon

Davids said part of her winning strategy was simply meeting with as many voters as she could, using the “anger” of Kansas voters to her advantage.

From Salon

“The biggest difference between previous administrations and the current one is anger and cruelty,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

Widespread floods from those storms and earlier monsoon rains have stirred public anger and triggered street protests.

From BBC

Related Words

• acrimony 
• animosity 
• annoyance 
• antagonism 
• displeasure 
• enmity 
• exasperation 
• fury 
• hatred 
• impatience 
• indignation 
• ire 
• irritation 
• outrage 
• passion 
• rage 
• resentment 
• temper 
• violence 

When To Use

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.