What does "wrath" mean?
Great anger; (countable) an instance of this.
Wrath
/ɹɒθ/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Great anger; (countable) an instance of this.
- Grammar: wrath is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: anger, ire, choler, a transient madness.
- Useful contrasts: calm, forgiveness, mercy.
- Usage evidence: All the king's subjects, fearing his wrath, often acted quite servile.
How to use "wrath"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "wrath" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "wrath" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "wrath" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "wrath" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "wrath" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "anger" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "wrath", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Great anger; (countable) an instance of this. formal, uncountable, usually
"Homer relates an episode in the Trojan War that reveals the tragic consequences of the wrath of Achilles."
- 2 belligerence aroused by a real or supposed wrong (personified as one of the deadly sins) wordnet
- 3 Punishment, retribution, or vengeance resulting from anger; (countable) an instance of this. uncountable, usually
"the wrath of God"
- 4 intense anger (usually on an epic scale) wordnet
- 5 Great ardour or passion. obsolete, uncountable, usually
"[T]hey are in the verie vvrath of loue, and they vvill together. Clubbes cannot part them."
Verb
- 1 To anger (someone); to enrage. Early, Modern, obsolete, transitive
"[R]emembre howe by thy cursed synnes thou haste offended and wrathed thy lorde god."
- 2 To become angry with (someone). Early, Modern, obsolete, transitive
- 3 To become angry. Early, Modern, intransitive, obsolete
""Nay, wrath thee not, Will," said Ganlesse; "and speak no words in haste, lest you may have cause to repent at leisure.[…]""
Adjective
- 1 Synonym of wroth (“full of anger; wrathful”). Early, Modern, archaic, obsolete
"Take heede the Queene come not vvithin his ſight, For Oberon is paſſing fell and vvrath: Becauſe that ſhe, as her attendant, hath A louely boy ſtollen, from an Indian king: She neuer had ſo ſvveete a changeling."
Antonyms
Example
"All the king's subjects, fearing his wrath, often acted quite servile."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "wrath"?
Common synonyms include: anger, ire, choler, a transient madness, acedia, acerbity.
How do you use "wrath" in a sentence?
All the king's subjects, fearing his wrath, often acted quite servile.
How do you pronounce "wrath"?
Pronounced /ɹɒθ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
The noun is derived from Middle English wraththe, wreththe (“anger, fury, rage; animosity, hostility; deadly sin of wrath; distress, vexation; punishment; retribution (?)”) [and other forms], from Old English wrǣþþu (“ire, wrath”) [and other forms], from Proto-West Germanic *wraiþiþu (“anger, fury, wrath”), from *wraiþ (“angry, furious, wroth; hostile, violent; bent, twisted”) (from Proto-Germanic *wraiþaz (“angry, furious, wroth; hostile, violent; bent, twisted”), from Proto-Indo-European *wreyt- (“to twist”)) + *-iþu (suffix forming abstract nouns). Effectively analysable as wroth + -th (abstract nominal suffix). The verb is derived from Middle English wratthen (“to be or become angry, to rage; to quarrel; to cause wrath, offend; to become troubled or vexed; to cause grief or harm, grieve, vex”) [and other forms], from wraththe, wreththe (noun) (see above) + -en (suffix forming the infinitive of verbs). Cognates * Danish vrede (“anger, wrath”) * Dutch wreedte (“cruelty”) * Icelandic reiði (“anger”) * Swedish vrede (“anger, ire, wrath”)
Etymology 2
A variant of wroth, probably influenced by wrath (noun) (see etymology 1).