Meanings
plural indignations
- countableuncountableAn anger aroused by something perceived as an indignity, notably an offense or injustice.
He protested in indignation.
1 more example
The Iron of it ſelfe, though heate red hot, / Approaching neere theſe eyes, would drinke my teares, / And quench this fierie indignation, / Euen in the matter of mine innocence.
c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i], page 14, column 1 - countableuncountableA self-righteous anger or disgust.
Having expressed his indignation at the idea of continuity from the young Marx to the old Marx and from Marx to Lenin, Miliband appears no less offended by my stressing the continuity from Leninism to Stalinism.
1981 March 28, Leszek Kolakowski, “Miliband's Anti-Kolakowski”, in Political Studies, volume 29, number 1, Sage Publishing, →DOI, →ISSN, page 124
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinindignātiō
- Old Frenchindignation
- Middle Englishindignacioun
- Englishindignation
From Middle English indignacioun, borrowed from Old French indignation, from Latin indignātiō, from indignor (“to scorn, resent”), from indignus (“unworthy, not fitting”), from in- (“not”) + dignus (“worthy, appropriate”). Attested since ca. 1374. Doublet of indignatio.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἀγανάκτησις, ἀγανάκτησις
- ἀγανάκτησις (aganáktēsis)anger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
- ἀγανάκτησις (aganáktēsis)self-righteous anger or disgust
Bulgarian възмущение, негодувание
- възмущение (văzmuštenie)anger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
- негодувание (negoduvanie)self-righteous anger or disgust
Catalan indignació, indignació
- indignacióanger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
- indignacióself-righteous anger or disgust
Chinese Mandarin 憤慨 /愤慨, 義憤 /义愤
- 憤慨 /愤慨 (fènkǎi)anger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
- 義憤 /义愤 (yìfèn)self-righteous anger or disgust
- 義憤填膺 /义愤填膺 (yìfèntiányīng)self-righteous anger or disgust
Dutch verontwaardiging, gebelgdheid
- verontwaardiginganger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
- gebelgdheidself-righteous anger or disgust
Finnish suuttumus, närkästys
- suuttumusanger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
- närkästysself-righteous anger or disgust
French indignation, indignation
- indignationanger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
- indignationself-righteous anger or disgust
German Empörung, Entrüstung
- Empörunganger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
- Entrüstunganger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
- Empörungself-righteous anger or disgust
- Entrüstungself-righteous anger or disgust
Greek αγανάκτηση, αγανάκτηση
- αγανάκτηση (aganáktisi)anger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
- αγανάκτηση (aganáktisi)self-righteous anger or disgust
Hungarian felháborodás, méltatlankodás
- felháborodásanger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
- méltatlankodásanger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
- felháborodásself-righteous anger or disgust
- méltatlankodásself-righteous anger or disgust
Japanese 憤慨, 憤り
- 憤慨 (fungai)anger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
- 憤り (ikidōri)anger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
- 憤懣 (funman)anger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
- 義憤 (gifun)self-righteous anger or disgust
Korean 분개, 의분
- 분개 (bun'gae)anger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
- 의분 (uibun)self-righteous anger or disgust
Māori whakatakariri, takariri
- whakatakaririanger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
- takaririanger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
- takaririself-righteous anger or disgust
Norwegian Bokmål indignasjon
- indignasjonanger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
Polish oburzenie
- oburzenieanger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
Portuguese indignação, indignação
- indignaçãoanger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
- indignaçãoself-righteous anger or disgust
Romanian indignare, indignare
- indignareanger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
- indignareself-righteous anger or disgust
Russian возмуще́ние, негодова́ние
- возмуще́ние (vozmuščénije)anger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
- негодова́ние (negodovánije)self-righteous anger or disgust
- возмуще́ние (vozmuščénije)self-righteous anger or disgust
Spanish indignación, indignación
- indignaciónanger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
- indignaciónself-righteous anger or disgust
Swedish förtrytelse, harm
- förtrytelseanger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
- harmanger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
Tagalog ngupinyo, pangungupinyo
- ngupinyoanger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
- pangungupinyoanger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
Ukrainian збу́рення, обу́рення
- збу́рення (zbúrennja)anger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
- обу́рення (obúrennja)anger aroused by some perceived offense or injustice
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with indignation
Cite this entry
indignation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/indignation
“indignation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/indignation. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “indignation,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/indignation.
Source: indignation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.