wrathful

Wrathful is an adjective meaning mentally or emotionally characterized by intense anger or fierce anger. It can describe a person who is wrathful, or things that evoke that anger, such as a wrathful glare or a wrathful storm. The word is formed from the noun wrath plus the suffix -ful, and has been used in English since the Middle Ages.

In religious and mythological contexts, wrathful often denotes deities or figures whose fierce, protective power is personified in a form meant to ward off evil. In Buddhism and Hinduism, for example, wrathful deities or forms are depicted with fierce expressions, multiple heads or arms, and symbolic implements; their wrath is interpreted as the force that destroys delusion and protects the faithful. In secular writing, the term can simply describe anger that is intense or burning.

Usage notes: Wrathful carries a strong negative or dangerous connotation and is typically used to emphasize severity rather than mere irritation. It is less common in everyday speech than terms like angry or enraged, and may be chosen for stylistic or evaluative purposes in criticism, fantasy, or religious discussion.

Related terms include wrath, anger, fury; antonyms include calm, peaceful, placid. Wrathful is thus versatile for describing both human emotion and symbolic depictions of fierce power.