WordGarden.iowrathful
C1Pronunciation
UK
- /rˈæθfəl/
US
- /ˈræθfəl/adjective
Meanings
Adjective
filled with intense anger
Beyond the definition
To be wrathful is to feel or show very strong anger. It is more than just being mad. It suggests deep rage and sometimes a wish to punish someone or get revenge. You might describe a villain as wrathful as they plan revenge, or use it for a god, king, or other powerful figure in a story.
The word has an old, serious feel and often appears in religious, literary, or dramatic writing. It is not common in everyday conversation. A wrathful look can feel more frightening than shouted words.
The word "wrathful" describes someone who is filled with intense anger, stronger than ordinary annoyance or frustration. It often suggests rage that feels deep, severe, and hard to control. Compared with the more common word "angry," "wrathful" sounds stronger, more dramatic, and more literary. It can also suggest a desire to punish, strike back, or take revenge.
Historically, "wrath" carried strong religious associations, especially in older translations of the Bible, where God's wrath appears as a form of divine judgment. Because of that history, "wrathful" often carries a sense of weight, power, and seriousness.
You might use it for a character in literature who is driven by rage or revenge, such as a warrior, ruler, or god. It can also be used in a figurative way for things like the sea, a storm, or flames, giving them a human sense of anger: "The wrathful sea crashed against the shore, threatening to swallow the village whole."
Although it can describe a person's state or expression, it is most natural in elevated or dramatic contexts rather than casual speech. You are more likely to see it in stories, sermons, historical writing, or vivid description than in everyday conversation.
Overall, "wrathful" points to anger at its fiercest. It suggests not just displeasure, but a powerful, dangerous, and often punishing kind of rage.
Examples
- 1
Personal anger
She gave him a wrathful look after he interrupted her again.
- 2
Serious authority
The judge replied in a wrathful voice that silenced the room.
- Usage
wrathful is formal and more common in serious or literary English than in everyday speech
- 3
Mythic punishment
In the old tale, a wrathful god punishes the city for breaking its promise.
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- wrathful god
- wrathful glare
- wrathful outburst
Word family
Explore
- righteous anger
- retribution
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- wrathfuladjective