English Reference

Word

anger

US/ˈæŋɡɝ/

UK/ˈæŋɡɐ/

Uncountable noun

Definition

n. a strong, hot feeling you have when you think something is unfair or when someone treats you badly.

n. a strong emotion of displeasure or hostility triggered by perceived provocation or injustice.

Examples

“His voice is full of anger.”

“She feels a surge of anger when people are treated unfairly.”

“His initial flash of anger often gives way to a more reflective sadness as he considers the long-term consequences of a betrayal.”

Examples

simple

“His voice is full of anger.”

contextual

“She feels a surge of anger when people are treated unfairly.”

complex

“His initial flash of anger often gives way to a more reflective sadness as he considers the long-term consequences of a betrayal.”

Collocations

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “anger” in context.

Verb

01. provoke anger

“The government's decision to raise taxes is likely to provoke anger among small business owners.”

verb + noun

02. suppress your anger

“It is often unhealthy to suppress your anger instead of discussing what is bothering you.”

verb + possessive + noun

03. vent your anger

“He needed a safe way to vent his anger, so he started boxing at the local gym.”

verb + possessive + noun

Adjective

04. righteous anger

“She was filled with righteous anger when she saw the way the refugees were being treated.”

adj + noun

05. simmering anger

“There has been simmering anger in the community for months regarding the lack of funding.”

adj + noun

Noun

06. anger management

“The judge ordered him to attend anger management classes after the incident.”

noun + noun

07. outburst of anger

“His sudden outburst of anger surprised everyone in the meeting room.”

noun + of + noun

Preposition

08. in anger

“He slammed the door in anger after the argument with his brother.”

prep + noun

Pitfall

He had a lot of anger to his boss.

He felt a lot of anger toward his boss.

Use 'toward' or 'at' to show who the anger is directed at.

Real-World Examples

“The cyclists' union is "filled with anger" after the death of British rider Finlay Tarling during the Volta a Portugal race.”
Sky News 16 Aug 2026
“Their move back was scheduled for last summer, but was pushed earlier to February 2025 because of their anger over Trump's re-election.”
BBC News 14 Aug 2026
“They also found that dogs can tell the difference between negative facial expressions, specifically anger, sadness, and fear.”
Ars Technica 10 Aug 2026

Etymology

From Middle English anger (“grief, pain, trouble, affliction, vexation, sorrow, wrath”), from Old Norse angr, ǫngr (“affliction, sorrow”) (compare Old Norse ang, ǫng (“troubled”)), from Proto-Germanic angazaz (“grief, sorrow”), from Proto-Indo-European h₂enǵʰ- (“narrow, tied together”). Cognate with Danish anger (“regret, remorse”), Norwegian Bokmål anger (“regret, remorse”), Swedish ånger (“regret”), Icelandic angur (“trouble”), Old English ange, enge (“narrow, close, straitened, constrained, confined, vexed, troubled, sorrowful, anxious, oppressive, severe, painful, cruel”), German Angst (“anxiety, anguish, fear”), Latin angō (“squeeze, choke, vex”), angor (“strangulation; anguish, torment”) (whence the English doublet angor), Albanian ang (“fear, anxiety, pain, nightmare”), Avestan 𐬄𐬰𐬀𐬵 (ązah, “strangulation; distress”), Ancient Greek ἄγχω (ánkhō, “I squeeze, strangle”), Sanskrit अंहस् (aṃhas), अंहु (aṃhu, “anxiety, distress, affliction”, literally “narrowness”). Also compare with English anguish, anxious, quinsy, and perhaps to awe and ugly. The word seems to have originally meant “to choke, squeeze”. The verb is from Middle English angren, angeren, from Old Norse angra. Compare with Icelandic angra, Norwegian Nynorsk angra, Norwegian Bokmål angre, Swedish ångra, Danish angre.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Word family

NOUN

anger(B2)

ADJECTIVE

Related words

Idioms

This entry

Exam level
CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
Frequency
Common
Level
B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
Updated

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