out·rage
ˈau̇t-ˌrāj 
1
: an act of violence or brutality
… arranged outrages and assassinations …—
Anthony West
Anthony West2
3
: the anger and resentment aroused by injury or insult
Many people expressed outrage at the court's decision.
outraged; outraging
1
a
: rape
b
: to violate the standards or principles of
… he has outraged respectability past endurance.—John Braine
John Braine2
: to arouse anger or resentment in usually by some grave offense
was outraged by the accusation
Examples of outrage in a Sentence
Noun
Many people expressed outrage at the court's decision.
Public outrage over the scandal was great.
The rule is an outrage against women.
This is an outrage! I won't allow this kind of behavior to continue.
Verb
His comments outraged nearly everyone in the room.
the spiteful comment outraged her so much that she's still holding a grudge
Recent Examples on the Web
Thomas Kennedy, Sun Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2026
After a two-year spike during the pandemic and national outrage over police accountability, Chicago began to see a decline in homicides in 2022.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 8 Feb. 2026
The concert promoted by the right-wing group founded by the late Charlie Kirk and now run by his widow, Erika, is in response to conservatives outraged over the NFL’s selection of Grammy-winning music superstar Bad Bunny, who sings primarily in Spanish, as the halftime act.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for outrage
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Noun
Images of a 5-year-old boy being used as bait to detain his parents on a snowy Minnesota day have caused international outrage.
—Thomas Kennedy, Sun Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2026
After a two-year spike during the pandemic and national outrage over police accountability, Chicago began to see a decline in homicides in 2022.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
Verb
The move in the House chamber by Pavalock-D’Amato outraged House Speaker Matt Ritter, who is known for his mild-mannered handling of the 151-member House chamber.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 8 Feb. 2026
The concert promoted by the right-wing group founded by the late Charlie Kirk and now run by his widow, Erika, is in response to conservatives outraged over the NFL’s selection of Grammy-winning music superstar Bad Bunny, who sings primarily in Spanish, as the halftime act.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for outrage
Cite this Entry
“Outrage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outrage. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
outrage
1 of 2 noun
out·rage
ˈau̇t-ˌrāj
1
: a violent or brutal act
2
: an act that hurts someone or shows disrespect for a person's feelings
3
: the angry feelings caused by injury or insult
outrage
2 of 2 verb
outraged; outraging
1
: to cause to suffer violent injury or abuse
2
: to cause to feel anger or resentment
Etymology
Noun
from early French outrage "an act of violence or brutality" from outre "beyond" (from Latin ultra "beyond") and -age "action"
Legal Definition
outrage
noun
out·rage
ˈau̇t-ˌrāj
1
: a deeply offensive or violent act
2
: the tort of intentionally inflicting emotional distress
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