outrage means an excessively violent or vicious attack; an atrocity. It carries an Arena rating of 1520, earned across 2 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, outrage ranks #1,805 of 14,297 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #2,543 of 14,308 for Most Malleable Words, #3,530 of 14,423 for Most Sublime Words, #3,855 of 14,322 for Scariest Words.
outrage is pronounced /ˈaʊt.ɹeɪd͡ʒ/.
Why “outrage” is a great word
A profound, morally charged anger provoked by a perceived violation of rights or decency, or the act that incites it. From Middle English *outrage*, from Old French *outrage*, *oultrage* ('excess'), from Vulgar Latin *ultrāticum* ('a going beyond'), derived from Latin *ultrā* ('beyond'); later folk etymology associated it with 'out-' and 'rage', reshaping its pronunciation. Unlike "anger," a general emotional heat, or "atrocity," a specific act of barbarity, outrage is the combustible fusion of the two—the transgression and the tidal wave of shock that answers it. It is the collective gasp in a courtroom, the crumpled newspaper thrown in disgust, the cold silence that follows a betrayal too profound for words—the body politic’s immune response to a perceived poison in the moral order.
Etymology
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.
noun
- An excessively violent or vicious attack; an atrocity.
- An offensive, immoral or indecent act.
- The resentful, indignant, or shocked anger aroused by such acts.
- A destructive rampage.
verb
- To cause or commit an outrage upon; to treat with violence or abuse.
- To inspire feelings of outrage in.e.g.“The senator's comments outraged the community.”
- To sexually violate; to rape.
- To rage in excess of.e.g.“Their will the tiger sucked, outraged the storm”
Words closest in meaning
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