Wrath: A Dictionary for the Enraged

WRATH
A DICTIONARY FOR THE ENRAGED

J
ENNIFER
M. W
OOD

(rath)

NOUN:
An intense anger; a vengeful punishment.

Many sins sow the seeds for war, but the unmitigated rage responsible for its execution comes from wrath. The destruction, the loss, the pain—all are left in the wake of this particular sin. Whether it comes down from on high like the gods’ rage in Homer’s
Odyssey
or boils up from inside like the fuel of Ahab’s vengeful voyage, the vice’s choking grip has been felt throughout history and literature. Sometimes justified, oftentimes not, the results are always the same. While wrath is best defined in the gritted teeth and white-knuckled fist of the enraged, this short dictionary captures the spirit of the most combative sin.

(uh-BASH)

VERB:
To humiliate, shame, or embarrass someone.

(ab-HOR-ent)

ADJECTIVE:
Repulsive or reprehensible.

(uh-BOM-ih-nayt)

VERB:
To detest or hate intensely.

(AS-er-bayt)

VERB OR ADJECTIVE:
As a verb, to exasperate. As an adjective, embittered.

(AK-rid)

ADJECTIVE:
Most often used to describe something that is bitter or harsh in smell or taste, the word can be applied in a more general sense to anything that is extremely angry and bitter.

(ak-ri-MO-nee-us)

ADJECTIVE:
Bitter or hostile; something that is acrimonious is filled with anger and animosity.

(AD-vers)

ADJECTIVE:
Acting in opposition to or in an antagonistic manner; unfavorable; hostile.

(uh-FLICK-shun)

NOUN:
A condition of physical or mental suffering; hardship.

(AG-ruh-vayt)

VERB:
to make worse; to intensify; to cause to become irritated or inflamed.

(AY-lee-uh-nayt)

VERB:
To isolate or make someone feel as if he or she no longer belongs somewhere; estrange.

(uh-MERSS)

VERB:
To punish, especially with a monetary fine.

(uh-NATH-eh-muh)

NOUN:
A person or thing that is shunned because it is extremely disliked or loathsome.

(ANG-ger)

NOUN OR VERB:
As a noun, a strong feeling of displeasure. As a verb, to arouse wrath within.

(an-uh-mad-VER-zhun)

NOUN:
An extremely critical and reproachful comment.

(an-ih-MOSS-ih-tee)

NOUN:
Extreme hostility or resentment.

(AN-uh-muss)

NOUN:
Hostility or ill feeling.

(an-TAG-uh-niz-uhm)

NOUN:
An opposition between unfriendly or conflicting people or groups.

(an-TIP-uh-thee)

NOUN:
A feeling of strong revulsion or hostility or the source of that hostility.

(uh-pok-uh-LIP-tik)

ADJECTIVE:
As in the Bible’s book of Revelation, apocalyptic refers to an event involving widespread destruction or disaster.

(ap-uh-PLECK-tic)

ADJECTIVE:
An “apoplexy” is a stroke, so apoplectic can refer to the symptoms of a stroke, but it also refers to being in a state of extreme anger or rage.

(AHR-suhn)

NOUN:
The intentional destruction of property by fire for malicious reasons.

(ART-ih-fuss)

NOUN:
Clever trickery or deceit.

(uh-SKANTS)

ADVERB:
Can refer to looking at something in a sideways manner or with suspicion or disapproval; doubtfully.

(a-SPAYR-ih-tee)

NOUN:
A manner that is harsh or severe; brusqueness.

(uh-SPUR-zhun)

NOUN:
A slanderous or defamatory charge; false accusation. The word is often used in the plural.

(uh-VUR-zhun)

NOUN:
Extreme hatred or loathing; repugnance.

(BAYL-ful)

ADJECTIVE:
Threatening misfortune to come; ominous.

(bayn)

NOUN:
Something that causes harm or destruction; scourge.

(BAR-ber-ism)

NOUN:
Uncivilized or brutal behavior or actions; savagery.

(BED-lum)

NOUN:
A situation marked by confusion or chaos; mayhem.

(bih-LAY-burr)

VERB:
To attack or assault either physically or verbally.

(bee-LEEG-urr)

VERB:
To besiege or harass a person; bother.

(buh-LIJ-er-ent)

ADJECTIVE:
From the Latin word for “war,” a belligerent person is someone who is argumentative or pugnacious.

(bih-MOAN)

VERB:
To express regret or disappointment; lament.

(bih-SEEJ)

VERB:
To surround a person or group in an attempt to capture it; to harass or overwhelm.

(BESS-chul)

ADJECTIVE:
Beastly or inhuman; savage or brutal.

(bett NWAHR)

NOUN:
French for “black beast,”
bête noire
is an extremely disliked or frightening person or thing.

(BILL-yes)

ADJECTIVE:
Related to the word “bile,”
bilious
refers to a thing or person that is unsettling or irritable; bad-tempered.

(BLAK-list)

VERB:
To shun a person because his or her behavior goes against something that is considered right or moral.

(BLUD-jun)

VERB:
To beat someone repeatedly with an object. As a noun, a
bludgeon
is a club that can be used as a weapon.

(BLUS-ter)

VERB:
To behave in a loud, obnoxious way or in a manner that could threaten someone; harangue.

(boyl)

VERB:
Most commonly used in reference to the point where a liquid becomes a gas, to boil also means to seethe with anger; fume.

(bom-BARD)

VERB:
To place under attack; assail.

(bowt)

NOUN:
A short period of time spent doing something, like a bout with the flu, or a contest or fight.

(BRAN-dish)

VERB:
To show something in a menacing way; wield.

(brash)

ADJECTIVE:
Impetuous or hasty; aggressive.

(BRAY-zun)

ADJECTIVE:
Bold or brash; shameless. The adverb form is brazenly.

(BROO-ha-ha)

NOUN:
An event marked by noise or conflict; a commotion or ruckus.

(brunt)

NOUN:
The primary force or impact of something, as in an attack.

(brusk)

ADJECTIVE:
An abrupt or short manner; curt.

(BUG-uh-boo)

NOUN:
A person or thing that causes obsessive fear or anxiety; a persistent problem.

(bull)

VERB:
To push or drive powerfully or violently.

(BUMP-shuss)

ADJECTIVE:
Overbearing and self-important; pushy.