The Meaning of Wrath: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know the definition of wrath? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word wrath, including its definition, usage, example sentences, and more!

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What does the word wrath mean?

According to the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, the word wrath is a noun that refers to strong vengeful anger, indignation, or a punishment for an offense or crime. This word is both used in British English and American English. 

The word wrath is commonly used to reference the wrath of God, which is an intense anger or great anger that God is meant to feel towards the seven deadly sins. Divine wrath, or God’s Wrath, also refers to the punishment of an offense or sin. The effects of this anger might come via judgment or being sent to Hell, or God’s anger might come in the form of all-consuming fire, or sending a sinner to Hell. God’s wrath might reign where there is great evil, but He is meant to grant grace and mercy to mankind through Jesus according to the Bible. According to the Bible, the love of God is contrary to this and can be achieved via repentance, righteousness and listening to God’s commands. There are many stories of God’s wrath that one can find in the Old Testament and New Testament, in Colossians, Romans, Ephesians, Deuteronomy, Luke, Corinthians, and Psalms. 

Another example of wrath comes via the tragic consequences of the wrath of Achilles, in an episode of the Trojan War by Homer. Human wrath might happen when someone is very angry about something that has happened. Be careful – the effects of anger on your health can be deadly. 

Many different languages also contain words that mean wrath. You may notice that some of these wrath translations look and sound alike. These are called cognates. Cognates are when two words look and sound similar as well as mean something similar across languages. These are often formed when two words have the same root or language of origin such as Latin or Greek. This list of translations is provided by Word Sense.

  •  Danish: vrede‎
  •  Vietnamese: thịnh nộ‎
  •  Kurdish: xezeb‎ (fem.), gerûşe‎ (fem.), hêrs‎ (fem.), xişm‎ (fem.), kerb‎ (fem.), kîn‎ (fem.), qîn‎ (fem.), xezeb‎ (fem.)
  •  Norwegian: vrede‎ (masc.), sinne‎ (neut.)
  •  Georgian: რისხვა‎, მძვინვარება‎, გაშმაგება‎, გაცოფება‎, მრისხანება‎
  •  Turkish: gazap‎, hiddet‎
  •  Dutch: gramschap‎ (fem.), woede‎ (fem.), toorn‎ (masc.)
  •  Czech: hněv‎ (masc.)
  •  Greek: οργή‎ (fem.)
  •  Finnish: viha‎, raivo‎
  •  Welsh: dig‎ (masc.)
  •  Khmer: កំហឹងខ្លាំង‎ (kɑmhəng klang)
  •  Portuguese: cólera‎ (fem.), ira‎ (fem.)
  •  Italian: furore‎ (masc.), collera‎ (fem.), ira‎ (fem.)
  •  Ngazidja Comorian: utungu‎ (c11) (c10a)
  •  West Frisian: grime‎ (common)
  •  Swedish: vrede‎ (common)
  •  Maori: ngana‎
  •  Polish: gniew‎ (masc.)
  •  Persian: وروت‎ (vorut)
  •  Latin: ira‎
  •  French: fureur‎ (fem.), courroux‎ (masc.), ire‎ (fem.), colère‎ (fem.)
  •  Hungarian: düh‎
  •  Macedonian: гнев‎, бес‎
  •  Korean: 성‎
  •  Romanian: mânie‎ (fem.), furie‎ (fem.), urgie‎ (fem.)
  •  Russian: гнев‎ (masc.)
  •  Latvian: dusmas‎
  •  Japanese: 激怒‎ (げきど、gekido), 憤怒‎ (ふんぬ)
  •  Lithuanian: rūstybė‎ (fem.)
  •  Bulgarian: гняв‎
  •  Spanish: cólera‎ (fem.), ira‎ (fem.)
  •  German: Zorn‎ (masc.), Wut‎ (fem.)
  •  Scottish Gaelic: corraich‎ (fem.)
  •  Serbo-Croatian: гнев‎, срџба‎, срдитост‎
  •  Swahili: ghadhabu‎
  •  Malay: kemarahan‎, kemurkaan‎
  •  Mirandese: rábia‎ (fem.)

What is the origin of the word wrath?

According to Etymonline, the word wrath comes from the Old English wræððu meaning anger, from the Old English wrað meaning angry. This is added to the suffix þu, which is related to the Proto-Germanic -itho, which is used in many words that end in -th, such as strength or width. Related words include wroth and wrathful. 

What are synonyms and antonyms for the word wrath?

There are many different words that one can choose to use in place of the word wrath. These are called synonyms, which are words and phrases that have the same meaning as another given word or phrase. Synonyms are a great way to expand your vocabulary and to avoid repeating yourself in spoken or written English. This list of synonyms for the word wrath is provided by Thesaurus.

  • acrimony
  •  asperity
  •  conniption
  •  dander
  •  displeasure
  •  exasperation
  •  flare-up
  •  fury
  •  hate
  •  hatefulness
  •  huff
  •  indignation
  •  ire
  •  irritation
  •  madness
  •  offense
  •  passion
  •  rage
  •  resentment
  •  rise
  •  stew
  •  storm
  •  temper
  •  vengeance
  •  boiling point
  •  mad
  •  anger
  •  animosity
  •  annoyance
  •  antagonism
  •  enmity
  •  hatred
  •  impatience
  •  outrage
  •  violence
  •  chagrin
  •  choler
  •  disapprobation
  •  distemper
  •  gall
  •  infuriation
  •  irascibility
  •  irritability
  •  miff
  •  peevishness
  •  petulance
  •  pique
  •  rankling
  •  soreness
  •  tantrum
  •  tiff
  •  umbrage
  •  vexation
  •  blow up
  •  cat fit
  •  hissy fit
  •  ill humor
  •  ill temper
  •  slow burn

There are also a number of words and phrases that have the opposite meaning of the word wrath. These opposite words are called antonyms. Learning antonyms is another great way to expand your English language vocabulary. This list of antonyms for the word wrath is also provided by Thesaurus.

  • paradise
  •  enchantment
  •  ecstasy
  •  vivacity
  •  cheerfulness
  •  gaiety
  •  contentment
  •  euphoria
  •  elation
  •  peace of mind
  •  enjoyment
  •  joviality
  •  blessedness
  •  exuberance
  •  mirth
  •  exhilaration
  •  cheer
  •  happiness
  •  good cheer
  •  optimism
  •  prosperity
  •  laughter
  •  content
  •  playfulness
  •  good humor
  •  felicity
  •  delirium
  •  gladness
  •  geniality
  •  delectation
  •  pleasure
  •  cheeriness
  •  seventh heaven
  •  merriment
  •  lightheartedness
  •  well-being
  •  delight
  •  sanctity
  •  bliss
  •  rejoicing
  •  glee
  •  hopefulness
  •  hilarity
  •  beatitude
  •  good spirits
  •  jubilation
  •  joy

How can the word wrath be used in a sentence?

Are many different ways that the word wrath can be used in a sentence, either to refer to emotions or Revenge. Below are a few examples of ways in which one can use the word wrath in a sentence. Pay attention to each different variant.

I feel so much wrath toward this injustice. That man is innocent, and should not be locked up. I will fight this until the very end.

The children got ready to feel their father’s wrath when he came home to find the smashed window.

Overall, the word wrath means a strong, vengeful anger or a punishment for some offense or crime. This word is of Old English and Indo-European roots. 

Sources: 

  1. wrath: meaning, origin, translation | Word Sense 
  2. WRATH Synonyms: 37 Synonyms & Antonyms for WRATH | Thesaurus 
  3. HAPPINESS Synonyms: 62 Synonyms & Antonyms for HAPPINESS | Thesaurus 
  4. wrath | Origin and meaning of wrath | Online Etymology Dictionary 
  5. Wrath | Definition of Wrath | Merriam-Webster