Umbrages

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A feeling of offense or annoyance caused by perceived disrespect or slight; an emotional reaction marked by indignation over an insult; the state of being upset due to a grievance or perceived unfair treatment
2. An emotion characterized by displeasure or resentment towards something believed to be disrespectful; a reaction indicating personal hurt arising from a slight; the condition of experiencing offense in response to an action or remark
3. An experience of irritation stemming from a perceived insult or disrespect; an emotional response involving displeasure felt in reaction to an unkind act; the state of being offended or displeased because of a real or imagined wrong

Etymology: The plural "umbrages" is simply the form of "umbrage," and that noun has a lovely hidden meaning: it began as something about shade. Its ancestor is Latin "umbrāticus," meaning "in the shade," built on "umbra," "shadow." Old French turned that into "ombrage," and Middle French carried it into English with a sense of shadow or shade still lingering in it. The leap from shade to offense happened through the idea of a shadow cast over someone's feelings or standing. To take umbrage was to feel that a slight had cast a shadow over one's dignity, and the emotional sense took hold in English as the physical one faded. Mental Floss writer Arika Okrent includes the word among dozen old terms that survive mainly in fixed expressions, where the original picture of darkness still hides beneath the modern meaning.

Synonyms: offenses, resentments

Antonyms: forgiveness