Outrage

Outrage is a strong emotional response characterized by intense anger, moral indignation, and shock in reaction to perceived moral violations, injustices, or offenses. As a noun, it describes the sentiment or an act of being outraged; as a verb, it denotes causing such a response. The term is commonly used for both individual feelings and public episodes of moral alarm.

The word traces to Old French outrage, from the verb outrager, meaning to injure or affront, with the noun appearing in English by the 15th century. The sense has long encompassed acts that violate social norms or cause affronts to dignity, authority, or fairness.

Psychologically, outrage often involves moral emotions—especially anger and disgust—triggered by perceived violations of normative standards. It is shaped by appraisal of intent, blame, and perceived severity, and can mobilize collective action or social sanction. At the same time, it is susceptible to biases such as attribution errors and sensational framing, which can amplify or distort responses.

In contemporary discourse, outrage is frequently facilitated by mass media and social platforms, where rapid sharing, commentary, and signaling can create or sustain outrage cycles. This environment can drive accountability and reform, but it can also foster performative expression, misinformation, overgeneralization, and heated public conflict. Movements built around public shaming or call-out practices are often described as forms of outrage culture, though opinions on their social value vary.

Overall, outrage is a common, multifaceted social emotion that reflects reactions to perceived threats to moral norms, while its amplification in media ecosystems can both advance accountability and strain civil discourse.