angry

angry — adjective

1. feeling strong displeasure toward someone or something, often because of unfair

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

feeling strong displeasure toward someone or something, often because of unfair treatment or bad behaviour, so that you may want to shout, complain, or fight back.

Example

Mei was angry with her brother for breaking her phone on purpose.

angry with + person for + reason

Thousands of farmers gathered in the square, angry about the new tax law.

angry about + thing

Common collocations
  • angry with someone
  • angry about something
  • angry that...
  • an angry look
  • angry words
  • an angry crowd
  • get angry
  • really/very angry
Synonyms
  • annoyed

    milder; for small irritations rather than strong fury

  • furious

    much stronger than angry; close to losing self-control

  • cross

    informal British English; mild, often used about children

  • mad

    informal American English equivalent of 'angry'

Antonyms
  • calm

    free from strong emotion; the usual opposite

  • pleased

    feeling happy satisfaction instead of displeasure

Grammar Patterns

angry with + person

angry about/at + thing

angry that + clause

Usage Note

Use 'angry with' before a person, 'angry about/at' before a situation, and 'angry that' before a clause. In British English 'angry with' is most common for people; in American English 'angry at' is also normal.

Common Mistakes

I am angry on my brother.
I am angry with my brother.
the preposition for a person is 'with', not 'on'.
She was angry for the noise.
She was angry about the noise.
use 'about' for the cause or situation, not 'for'.

2. describing the sky, clouds, or sea when they look dark and rough, as if a storm

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

describing the sky, clouds, or sea when they look dark and rough, as if a storm is coming or already breaking.

Example

Angry grey clouds rolled in over the harbour just before the typhoon hit.

angry + clouds for incoming storm

The fishermen stayed in port because the sea looked angry that morning.

predicative: the sea looked angry

Common collocations
  • an angry sky
  • angry clouds
  • an angry sea
  • angry waves
  • look angry (of weather)
Synonyms
  • stormy

    the plain, neutral word for the same idea

  • threatening

    focuses on the warning of bad weather to come

  • turbulent

    more formal; emphasises violent movement of air or water

Antonyms
  • calm

    of sea or sky: smooth and peaceful

  • clear

    of sky: bright and free of dark clouds

Grammar Patterns

angry + sky/sea/clouds/waves

Usage Note

Almost always attributive (before a noun) and limited to weather or natural elements: sky, clouds, sea, waves, ocean, sometimes rivers. A literary or dramatic use, not normal in everyday weather reports.

Common Mistakes

The wind was angry yesterday.
It was a stormy, windy day.
'angry' here works mainly with sky, clouds, sea, or waves, not with wind alone.

3. describing a patch of skin or a wound that looks red, swollen, and sore — typica

3.adjectiveC1
Definition

describing a patch of skin or a wound that looks red, swollen, and sore — typically because it is inflamed or has become infected.

Example

The cut on Pablo's knee had turned an angry red by Tuesday morning.

angry red for an inflamed wound

Dr. Greta pointed at the angry rash spreading across the child's neck.

angry + rash in medical context

Common collocations
  • an angry red
  • an angry rash
  • an angry wound
  • an angry-looking scar
  • an angry lump
Synonyms
  • inflamed

    the standard medical term for the same condition

  • sore

    general word for painful when touched, less visual

  • raw

    stresses that the skin surface is damaged and tender

Antonyms
  • healed

    the wound is closed and no longer red or sore

Grammar Patterns

angry + body part/wound/rash

Usage Note

Used mainly in medical or descriptive writing about wounds, rashes, scars, or infections. Often pairs with 'red', 'swollen', or 'looking' (an angry-looking wound). Never used here for emotion.

Common Mistakes

My headache is angry today.
My headache is bad today.
this sense applies to visible inflammation on skin, not to general pain inside the body.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All these words describe negative feelings toward something or someone, but they sit at different points on a scale. 'Annoyed' is the mildest: it usually means a small irritation, like a buzzing fly or a slow website. 'Cross' is informal British English at about the same level, often used to children ('Mum will be cross with you'). 'Angry' is the standard middle-strength term suitable for any register, from school essays to news reports. 'Mad' is the informal American counterpart of 'angry' ('Are you mad at me?') and is too casual for formal writing. 'Furious' is the strongest: it suggests anger so intense the person can barely control it, often after a serious wrong. So if a colleague forgets to reply, you might be annoyed; if they lie about you in a meeting, you would be furious.

angry ↗annoyed ↗furious ↗mad ↗cross ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • an angry crowd
  • an angry letter
  • an angry voice
  • angry words
  • an angry response

Adverbs

  • very angry
  • really angry
  • extremely angry
  • absolutely furious-angry
  • increasingly angry
  • still angry

Phrases

  • get angry
  • make someone angry
  • feel angry
  • look angry
  • sound angry
  • an angry exchange

Prepositions

  • angry with (someone)
  • angry at (someone/something, AmE)
  • angry about (something)
  • angry over (something)

Etymology

Old NorseMiddle EnglishModern English

'Angry' came into English in the 1300s, formed from the Old Norse-rooted noun 'anger' plus the everyday adjective ending '-y'. The Old Norse word 'angr' first meant 'sorrow' or 'trouble' rather than rage, and you can still see this older sense in the medical use of 'angry' for a sore, inflamed wound. By the late Middle Ages the emotional sense of strong displeasure had become the main meaning, and the weather and medical uses developed later as figurative extensions of that feeling.