ENGLISH
REFERENCE

indignation

n. uncountable
C1 Advanced US //ˌɪndɪɡˈneɪʃən// UK //ɪndɪɡnˈeɪʃən// in·dig·na·tion

n. a feeling of anger because you think something is unfair or wrong. You feel this when you or someone else is treated badly and it does not seem right.

n. anger or annoyance provoked by what is perceived as unfair treatment or injustice. Often associated with a sense of moral superiority or righteous anger.


SIMPLE

She felt a flash of indignation when he lied to her.

CONTEXTUAL

The workers expressed their indignation during the meeting after learning about the sudden pay cuts.

COMPLEX

The editorial was filled with righteous indignation, accusing the local government of systematically ignoring the needs of the city's most vulnerable residents for over a decade.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English indignacioun, borrowed from Old French indignation, from Latin indignātiō, from indignor (“to scorn, resent”), from indignus (“unworthy, not fitting”), from in- (“not”) + dignus (“worthy, appropriate”). Attested since ca. 1374. Doublet of indignatio.

Usage

Often paired with the adjectives 'righteous' or 'moral'; frequently takes the prepositions 'at' or 'over'.

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