outrage

outrage — noun

1. powerful anger mixed with shock because something seems very wrong

1.nounC1
Definition

powerful anger mixed with shock because something seems very wrong

Example

Parents reacted with outrage after the school cut art classes.

with outrage

Public outrage grew when the video showed nurses hitting patients.

collocation: public outrage

Common collocations
  • public outrage
  • spark outrage
  • express outrage
  • outrage at
  • outrage over
Synonyms
  • anger

    a broader and more everyday word that does not always include shock

  • indignation

    stresses moral disapproval and sounds more formal

  • fury

    focuses on extreme anger, often with less emphasis on moral shock

Grammar Patterns

feel outrage at + noun

outrage over + noun

with outrage

Usage Note

Often appears with public, widespread, or growing, especially when many people share the same reaction. Distinguish from sense 2, which names the bad act itself, not the feeling it causes.

Common Mistakes

There were many outrages over the video.
There was outrage over the video.
This sense is usually uncountable.

2. something so cruel, violent, or unfair that people see it as far beyond what any

2.nounC2
Definition

something so cruel, violent, or unfair that people see it as far beyond what anyone should accept

Example

The attack on hospital workers was an outrage.

Many voters called the pay cut for nurses an outrage.

call something an outrage

Common collocations
  • an absolute outrage
  • national outrage
  • call it an outrage
  • an outrage that
Synonyms
  • atrocity

    usually stronger and more closely tied to extreme cruelty or violence

  • disgrace

    can refer more broadly to something shameful, not always shocking or brutal

  • scandal

    often stresses public shame and gossip rather than the act's cruelty itself

Grammar Patterns

an outrage that + clause

call something an outrage

it is an outrage that + clause

Usage Note

Common in formal complaint, protest, and news writing, especially in patterns like 'It is an outrage that ...'. Distinguish from sense 1, which refers to the anger people feel after such an act.

Common Mistakes

The attack was outrage.
The attack was an outrage.
This sense is a countable noun and normally needs an article.

outrage — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words describe strong reactions, but they point to different mixes of feeling. 'Anger' is the broad everyday term and can come from almost any cause. 'Shock' highlights surprise, and a person can feel shock without being angry. 'Fury' is very intense anger and often sounds more explosive or uncontrolled. 'Indignation' is more formal and stresses the belief that something is unfair or morally wrong. 'Outrage' combines both pieces: people feel shocked and morally angry because a limit has been crossed. Compare: waiting two hours for a late train may cause anger, but a video of staff hitting patients is more likely to cause outrage. A child may shout in fury, while citizens may speak with indignation at a corrupt decision.

outrage ↗anger ↗indignationfuryshock ↗

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word came into English from Old French 'outrage', related to 'outre', meaning 'beyond'. That French form goes back to Latin 'ultra', also meaning 'beyond'. The earliest idea was of going past proper limits, and from that came the modern senses of a shocking wrong act and the powerful anger such an act creates.