Definition

1. Noun:
   • Intense, vengeful, or righteous anger: "Wrath" refers to a powerful, often destructive form of anger, typically associated with a desire for punishment or retribution. It implies a deeper, more profound, and sometimes divine or epic anger than common irritation or rage.
   • Divine retribution or punishment: In religious or mythological contexts, "wrath" often personifies the anger of a god or supernatural force, leading to punishment.

Usage and Examples

• Noun:
  • The king's wrath was feared by all his subjects. (The intense, punishing anger of the king was a source of fear.)
  • In the story, the hero faced the wrath of the sea god. (The hero confronted the destructive punishment from the deity.)
  • She spoke with a quiet wrath that was more terrifying than shouting. (Her intense anger was expressed calmly but powerfully.)

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• "to incur someone's wrath": to do something that causes someone to become very angry, often leading to severe consequences.
  • By betraying the secret, he incurred the wrath of the entire council.
• "the wrath of God": a common phrase referring to divine punishment or judgment.
  • The plague was seen as the wrath of God upon the sinful city.
• "full of wrath": describes a person or entity that is filled with intense anger.
  • The prophet, full of wrath, denounced the corruption he saw.

Variants and Related Words

• Wrathful (adj): Characterized by or filled with wrath; fiercely angry.
  • The wrathful deity demanded a sacrifice.
• Wrathfully (adv): In a wrathful manner.
  • He glared wrathfully at his accuser.

Synonyms

• Fury: Violent, wild, or unrestrained anger.
• Ire: (Literary) Anger.
• Rage: Violent, uncontrollable anger.
• Indignation: Anger aroused by something unjust, unworthy, or mean.

Antonyms

• Calm: The state of being peaceful and not angry.
• Forgiveness: The act of pardoning or ceasing to feel resentment.
• Benevolence: The quality of being well-meaning; kindness.

Idioms and Fixed Phrases

• "Nursing one's wrath": To keep one's anger alive in one's mind over time.
  • He spent years nursing his wrath over the insult.
• "Slow to wrath": (Formal/Archaic) Not easily angered; patient.
  • He was a just man, slow to wrath and quick to forgive.

Noun

1. belligerence aroused by a real or supposed wrong (personified as one of the deadly sins)
2. intense anger (usually on an epic scale)