Wrath: A Dictionary for the Enraged Read online

  shun

  (shun)

  VERB: To intentionally avoid or spurn a person, thing, or idea.

  sinister

  (SIN-uh-ster)

  ADJECTIVE: Describes something that is menacing and has the potential for violence; evil.

  skullduggery

  (skull-DUG-uh-ree)

  NOUN: Trickery or deceit; cheating.

  I would be wary of playing cards with them; they’re known for SKULLDUGGERY, and there are plenty of honest games to be found elsewhere.

  slander

  (SLAN-dur)

  VERB: To make a knowingly untrue statement or accusation against someone in an attempt to damage his or her reputation.

  Life being what it is,

  one dreams of revenge.

  —PAUL GAUGUIN

  snit

  (snit)

  NOUN: An irritable state or bad mood.

  solipsism

  (SOL-ip-siz-um)

  NOUN: The belief that the only thing that exists—or can be proven to exist—is oneself; self-absorption.

  somber

  (SOM-ber)

  ADJECTIVE: Grave or depressing.

  The SOMBER atmosphere of the funeral soon gave way to anger as many vowed to avenge his death.

  sophism

  (SOF-iz-uhm)

  NOUN: A flawed argument that is intentionally misleading or deceiving; fallacy.

  sororicide

  (suh-RAHWR-uh-syd)

  NOUN: The act of killing one’s sister.

  spite

  (spyt)

  NOUN: Ill will toward a person or thing; malice.

  spurn

  (spurn)

  VERB: To scornfully snub a person, thing, or idea; rebuff.

  squabble

  (SKWOB-uhl)

  NOUN: A petty argument or quarrel; as a verb, it refers to the act of having such an argument.

  squall

  (skwawl)

  NOUN: A brief commotion.

  stigmatize

  (STIG-muh-tyz)

  VERB: To label a person, thing, or idea as evil or undesirable.

  sully

  (SUL-ee)

  VERB: To pollute or spoil something, particularly one’s reputation; vilify.

  It would soon SULLY her reputation when people discovered how she sought such violent revenge on her ex-husband.

  surly

  (SUR-lee)

  ADJECTIVE: Ill-humored and gruff; rude.

  T

  tantrum

  (TAN-truhm)

  NOUN: A sudden or violent outburst of frustration or bad behavior.

  tarnish

  (TAHR-nish)

  VERB: To destroy the purity of; to stain; to sully.

  temerarious

  (tem-uh-RAIR-ee-uhs)

  ADJECTIVE: Reckless or impetuous.

  temerity

  (tuh-MAYR-uh-tee)

  NOUN: Behavior that could be considered bold or rash; audacity.

  temper

  (TEM-per)

  NOUN: Heat of mind or passion, often displayed in outbursts of anger or resentment.

  tempest

  (TEM-pist)

  NOUN OR VERB: As a noun, a violent windstorm; a violent commotion; a disturbance; a tumult. As a verb, to disturb violently.

  tempestuous

  (tem-PESS-choo-uss)

  ADJECTIVE: Prone to violence or extreme emotion; turbulent.

  tenebrous

  (TEN-uh-bruhss)

  ADJECTIVE: Dark; ominous.

  Genevieve watched over the hills as TENEBROUS clouds began forming; there would be a storm tonight.

  termagant

  (TER-muh-guhnt)

  NOUN: A violent, brawling woman; a shrew.

  thrash

  (thrash)

  VERB: To beat soundly in punishment; to defeat thoroughly; to force.

  tiff

  (tihf)

  NOUN: An argument or petty quarrel; a fit of annoyance; a bad mood; a spat, scrap, misunderstanding, or difference in opinions.

  tirade

  (TIE-raid)

  NOUN: A verbal attack against a person, thing, or idea; outburst.

  In her uninterrupted and very public TIRADE, she ranted about the government, her neighbors, and her marriage.

  torture

  (TAWR-cher)

  NOUN OR VERB: As a noun, the act of inflicting excruciating pain. As a verb, to subject to torture; to afflict with severe pain of body or mind; to force or extort; to punish.

  traduce

  (truh-DOOSS)

  VERB: To knowingly make false accusations against a person; disparage.

  trauma

  (TROU-muh)

  NOUN: A body wound caused by sudden injury whether intentionally violent or accidental in nature.

  traumatize

  (TRAW-muh-tyz)

  VERB: To inflict psychological damage on someone; devastate.

  troglodyte

  (TROG-luh-dyt)

  NOUN: A person who behaves in an uncivilized, beastly manner.

  truculent

  (TRUK-yuh-lunt)

  ADJECTIVE: Prone toward hostility or defiance; argumentative.

  tyrant

  (TAY-runt)

  NOUN: A ruler who uses abuses power; any person in a position of power who exercises power oppressively; a tyrannical influence.

  In taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior.

  —SIR FRANCIS BACON

  U

  umbrage

  (UM-brihj)

  NOUN: Resentment or offense.

  unconscionable

  (un-KONSH-un-uh-bul)

  ADJECTIVE: Without conscience; immoral or unscrupulous.

  underhanded

  (UN-dur-hand-id)

  ADJECTIVE: Sneaky or deceitful in nature; devious.

  undermine

  (UN-dur-myn)

  VERB: To weaken something over time by chipping away at it, including a person’s sense of self or importance.

  Georgia found that it wasn’t difficult to UNDERMINE her boss; with his soft-spoken voice, she was easily able to talk over him and change the plans he’d made.

  unsavory

  (un-SAY-vuh-ree)

  ADJECTIVE: Unpleasant or unappetizing; immoral.

  He that studieth revenge keepeth his own wounds green, which otherwise would heal and do well.

  —JOHN MILTON

  unseemly

  (un-SEEM-lee)

  VERB: Unbecoming or inappropriate; uncouth.

  uxoricide

  (uk-SOR-ih-syd)

  NOUN: The act of murdering one’s wife.

  V

  vanquish

  (VAN-kwish)

  VERB: To defeat an opponent; annihilate.

  vengeance

  (VEN-juhns)

  NOUN: Inflicted punishment in retribution for a past wrongdoing; revenge.

  vent one’s spleen

  (vent wuhnz spleen)

  PHRASE: Annoyance or a bad temper.

  vilify

  (VIL-ih-fie)

  VERB: To make false accusations or statements against someone in order to make him or her seem villainous; malign.

  Part of her attempt at defense was to VILIFY her husband; by making him seem like a horrible person she thought she would be able to justify his murder and escape punishment.

  vindictive

  (vin-DIK-tiv)

  ADJECTIVE: Motivated by revenge; vengeful.

  virago

  (vi-RAH-go)

  NOUN: A tempestuous, loud, or domineering woman.

  virulent

  (VEER-yuh-lent)

  ADJECTIVE: A person or thing that is extremely hostile or poisonous; bitter.

  vitriolic

  (vit-ree-OL-ik)

  ADJECTIVE: Characterized by hate or spite; acerbic.

  vituperative

  (vie-TOO-per-uh-tiv)

  ADJECTIVE: Behavior or speech that is insulting and abusive; slanderous.


  volatile

  (VOL-uh-tull)

  ADJECTIVE: Prone to sudden changes or outbursts; unpredictable.

  The situation with their government is VOLATILE; it’s unwise to travel there until we know exactly what is going to happen.

  W

  wangle

  (WANG-gul)

  VERB: To manipulate a situation through deceit or trickery; finagle.

  She was easily able to WANGLE her way out of being charged with theft by crafting a story interesting enough to distract the investigator.

  wary

  (WAYR-ee)

  ADJECTIVE: Suspicious or leery.

  waspish

  (WAH-spish)

  ADJECTIVE: Easily irritated or bothered; spiteful.

  wrathful

  (RATH-full)

  ADJECTIVE: Full of anger or spite; enraged.

  wrest

  (rest)

  VERB: To take something away from someone using force.

  wroth

  (roth)

  ADJECTIVE: Wrathful or spiteful.

  Anger is one of the sinews of the soul; he that wants it hath a maimed mind.

  —THOMAS FULLER

  X, Y, and Z

  Xanthippe

  (zan-TIP-ee)

  NOUN: A reference to Socrates’ wife, a Xanthippe is a shrewish, ill-tempered woman.

  yahoo

  (YAH-hoo)

  NOUN: A crude, coarse, or brutish person. In Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, one of a race of brutes having the form and all vices of humans.

  yell

  (yel)

  VERB: To cry out of scream with anger, fright, or pain.

  yob

  (yob)

  NOUN: A thug or hooligan.

  You may run to the store around the corner, but watch out for the YOB hanging by the door; he’s likely to knock you down and take your money.

  yuck

  (yuhk)

  INTERJECTION/slang: An expression of strong dislike or disgust.

  zap

  (zap)

  VERB: To kill; to shoot; to attack or destroy with sudden speed and force.

  zounds

  (zoundz)

  INTERJECTION: Used to express anger or indignation.

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