indignation

noun

in·dig·na·tion ˌin-dig-ˈnā-shən

Synonyms of indignation next

: anger aroused by something unjust, unworthy, or mean

Choose the Right Synonym for indignation

anger, ire, rage, fury, indignation, wrath mean an intense emotional state induced by displeasure.

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

Examples of indignation in a Sentence

I am eager to concede that in our cataclysmic world this is a little misfortune, arousing even in me only the kind of indignation that could be thoroughly vented in a long footnote somewhere. —

Marilynne Robinson, The Death of Adam, (1998) 2005

It's good to bear the preceding in mind when trying to comprehend the indignation with which the East Coast establishment greets work that dares to be both funny and deadly serious in the same breath. —

Tom Robbins, Harper's, September 2004

… in his reverie, while his wife swooped back and forth with sheets of last year's leaves and bundles of brisk directives, his brooding mind warmed his old indignation at not having been invited to that party given by his then recently forsaken inamorata. —

John Updike, The Afterlife, 1994

The decision to close the factory has aroused the indignation of the townspeople. He adopted a tone of moral indignation.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

When Wiley returns a few minutes later with a tissue, his indignation has come back, too. —

Rachel Corbett, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024 On Wednesday night, when news of the pending indictment was reported by the Times, but before details of the charges were publicly known, Adams offered the public the same righteous indignation. —

Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2024 Advertisement Americans who have had their run-ins with the health insurance industry, never mind our own inadequate welfare state, won’t have trouble feeling indignation. —

Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2024 If pressed, some argue the indignation over the defacement itself betrays how little our culture values the planet when compared to inanimate works of canvas and pigment. —

Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 17 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for indignation