take umbrage

Idioms  

1. Feel resentment, take offense, as in Aunt Agatha is quick to take umbrage at any suggestion to do things differently. This expression features one of the rare surviving uses of umbrage, which now means “resentment” but comes from the Latin umbra, for “shade,” and presumably alludes to the “shadow” of displeasure. [Late 1600s]

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Example Sentences

I expected Williams to take umbrage with the idea that he was a font of misinformation, but surprisingly, he wasn’t exactly bothered by that charge.

From Slate • Feb. 23, 2026

Are there any other family members you need to be aware of who may take umbrage at your arrangement with your mom, such as a brother or a sister?

From MarketWatch • Dec. 15, 2025

It presumes that the feelings of real or imagined bigots who might take umbrage at such an image are of paramount importance, and that everyone else's freedoms must be curtailed to appease them.

From Salon • Aug. 14, 2023

"So perhaps when these accusations are made, people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones and you know we take umbrage and extremely seriously the remarks that have been made."

From BBC • Oct. 1, 2022

In fact, Edward Tulane was so happy to be back among the living that he did not even take umbrage at being referred to as “it.”

From "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" by Kate DiCamillo

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