outrage
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a strong feeling of shock and anger because something is very unfair or wrong.
n.a powerful feeling of resentment or moral indignation triggered by a perceived injustice or atrocity.
Simple“The public expressed outrage when they heard about the new tax laws.”
In context“The leaked documents sparked widespread public outrage, leading to immediate calls for a full parliamentary inquiry into the matter.”
UsageOften used with the verbs 'spark', 'cause', or 'express'.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
n.an action that is very wrong, cruel, or unfair.
n.an act of extreme violence, cruelty, or wickedness that violates moral standards.
Simple“The destruction of the ancient temple was a moral outrage.”
In context“Human rights groups described the treatment of the prisoners as a moral outrage that violated international law.”
Teacher's tipIn this sense, the word is often used as a countable noun to describe a specific event.
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to make someone feel very shocked and angry.
v.to offend the moral sense or pride of someone; to provoke a strong feeling of indignation.
Simple“The decision to close the local hospital outraged the community.”
In context“The CEO's massive bonus, awarded despite the company's poor performance, deeply outraged the shareholders and employees alike.”
UsageThis is a transitive verb and requires a direct object.
“Arday’s death has sparked outrage among certain sections of British society, who argue that his treatment by the media was fuelled by racism.”
“There was a risk the announcement might be drowned out by howls of rightwing outrage after the prime minister dared suggest that middle-class areas also ought to house asylum seekers.”
From Middle English outrage, from Old French outrage, oultrage (“excess”), from Vulgar Latin *ultrāticum ("a going beyond"), derived from Latin ultrā (“beyond”). Later reanalysed as out- + rage, whence the contemporary pronunciation, though neither of these is etymologically related. The verb is from Middle English outragen, from Old French oultragier.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.