Wrath: A Dictionary for the Enraged
Page 5
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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