angry

American  

[ang-gree] / ˈæŋ gri /

adjective

angrier, angriest

1. feeling or showing anger or strong resentment (usually followed by at, with, orabout ): to be angry about the snub.

   to be angry at the dean;

   to be angry about the snub.

   Synonyms:

   irritated, mad, furious, irate

   Antonyms:

   calm

2. expressing, caused by, or characterized by anger; wrathful.

   angry words.

3. Chiefly New England and Midland U.S. inflamed, as a sore; exhibiting inflammation.

4. (of an object or phenomenon) exhibiting a characteristic or creating a mood associated with anger or danger, as by color, sound, force, etc.: the boom of angry guns.

   an angry sea;

   the boom of angry guns.

---

angry British  

/ ˈæŋɡrɪ /

adjective

1. feeling or expressing annoyance, animosity, or resentment; enraged

2. suggestive of anger

   angry clouds

3. severely inflamed

   an angry sore

---

Usage

It was formerly considered incorrect to talk about being angry at a person, but this use is now acceptable

Other Word Forms

• angrily adverb
• angriness noun
• half-angry adjective

Etymology

Origin of angry

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; anger + -y ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

To be angry is to be furious. People who get angry a lot have a short temper. This is a word for a common emotion: being mad or enraged. People get mad all the time, about traffic, homework, parents, children, and even the weather. When you're angry it's hard to think straight: you see red. The sea could be described as angry when its waves ferociously crash the beach. Some synonyms for anger are furious, raging, and tempestuous. If you're feeling angry, you should blow off steam or count to 10 instead of doing something you'll regret.

Example Sentences

Ten years later, it’s hard not to be a little angry at how avoidable it all was.

From Salon • Apr. 21, 2026

The gold-rush city’s vibe has turned angry as the AI boom creates a new K-shaped economy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026

And this speech does feel like a representation of how angry he is that he has had all the successes in the world, both personally and professionally, and still can’t take the win.

From Slate • Apr. 17, 2026

There was an angry yell from one woman towards a line of waiting police.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

She was angry at herself for falling into old habits and agreeing to participate in Owen’s séance.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Related Words

• annoyed
• bitter
• enraged
• exasperated
• furious
• heated
• impassioned
• indignant
• irate
• irritable
• irritated
• mad
• offended
• outraged
• resentful
• sullen
• uptight