erzürnt

Erzürnt is a German adjective describing a state of being deeply angered, outraged, or offended. It conveys not only anger but also a sense of grievance or indignation in response to a specific event, action, or remark. The term is somewhat stronger than everyday verärgt and is often found in formal, literary, or journalistic contexts.

Etymology and usage notes: Erzürnt derives from the verb zürnen (to be angry) with the prefix er-, which adds emphasis. The form can appear in attributive position (ein erzürnter Mann) as well as predicate adjective (er ist erzürnt). In common constructions, one speaks of someone being erzürnt über etwas, for example über eine Nachricht, eine Entscheidung oder eine Verzögerung.

Typical constructions: Erzürnt is used with prepositional phrases that specify the cause of the anger. Example sentences include: Er war erzürnt über die Nachricht. Sie war erzürnt über die Verzögerung. Der Sprecher zeigte sich erzürnt über den Vorfall. The term tends to be found in written German or formal speech and carries a tone of moral or principled indignation rather than casual irritation.

Relation to related terms: Erzürnt is closely related to Zorn, Zornig, and Entrüstung. It sits between verärgert (annoyed) and wütend (furious) in intensity, often implying that a perceived wrong or injustice has occurred. Usage of erzürnt can evoke a somewhat elevated or classical register in contrast to everyday synonyms.