anger, the most general term, names the reaction but by itself does not convey cause or intensity.
tried to hide his anger
ire, more frequent in literary contexts, suggests an intense anger, often with an evident display of feeling.
cheeks flushed with ire
rage and fury suggest loss of self-control from violence of emotion.
shook with rage
could not contain his fury
indignation stresses righteous anger at what one considers unfair, mean, or shameful.
a comment that caused general indignation
wrath is likely to suggest a desire or intent to punish or get revenge.
I feared her wrath if I was discovered
Example Sentences
NounThat winter it rained in Los Angeles for three months straight, as if I had brought with me a terrible wrath that somehow agitated the atmosphere, releasing a flood of rain. Patrick Moore, Tweaked, 2006… Reagan raised the bar for every political performer who followed. A president or presidential candidate now had to be smooth or suffer the wrath of the press. Neal Gabler, Life: The Movie, 1998More Wrath than Terror, has seized me. I am very mad. John Adams26 Apr. 1777, in The Book of Abigail and John, 1975 the wrath of the gods waited until my initial wrath had eased before voicing my complaint Adjective… Take heed the Queen come not within his sight; / For Oberon is passing fell and wrath … William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, 1596See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
This sparks a manic subplot about a race to scrape up $40k in a single afternoon in order to save Eugene from the diminutive wrath of small-time gangster Dev Deluxe (Asif Ali). Katie Rife, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2022 Others have expressed concerns that there may be further underreporting taking place at local levels by officials who want to avoid the wrath of the leadership in Pyongyang. Siladitya Ray, Forbes, 18 May 2022 From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the elderly have borne the brunt of the virus’ deadly wrath. Arielle Mitropoulos, ABC News, 1 June 2022 Elsewhere in the villa, Isaiah struggles with whether pursuing Nadjha is worth Sydney’s wrath. Kimi Robinson, The Arizona Republic, 9 Aug. 2022 Trump’s wrath by voting for impeachment also went before voters. Michelle L. Price, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2022 Two Republicans in Washington state who incurred Trump's wrath by voting for impeachment also went before voters. Michelle L. Price, ajc, 3 Aug. 2022 The 74-year-old Mr. Lai incurred Beijing’s wrath because his popular newspaper, Apple Daily, campaigned for democracy in Hong Kong. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 26 July 2022 Despite her prime-time role, Luria has yet to attract Trump’s wrath, something that political strategists say wouldn’t necessarily help the GOP in the military-heavy district that’s full of independents and swing voters. Jacqueline Alemany, Washington Post, 21 July 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Old English wrǣththo, from wrāth wroth — more at wroth
Adjective
alteration of wroth
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1