Outraging

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To incite intense feelings of anger or shock in others
2. To bring about significant moral outrage or indignation within individuals or groups
3. Causing people to feel deep anger or strong shock because of offensive actions or behavior

Etymology: The word "outrage" looks like "out" plus "rage," and that's the reading most people assume, but the two halves have nothing to do with it. The noun came into English from Old French "outrage" or "oultrage," meaning "excess," which in turn came from a Vulgar Latin "ultrāticum," a going beyond, built on Latin "ultrā," "beyond." The English spelling and pronunciation were later reshaped to suggest "out" and "rage," so the word's apparent meaning of raging outward is a reinterpretation rather than its real history. The verb "outrage" came into Middle English as "outragen," borrowed from Old French "oultragier," meaning to commit excess or to go beyond proper bounds, especially by violence or insult. That sense of overstepping still lies beneath the modern meaning: to outrage people is to push their sense of decency past what they will tolerate, provoking anger or shock.

Synonyms: infuriating, offending, indignant, provoking, irritating

Antonyms: pleasing, satisfying, soothing, calming, comforting